<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>3 Terry and Alice and Global Risk Management and Protection : Hasan’s Tale by Mariahtessjojasper</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26619586">3 Terry and Alice and Global Risk Management and Protection : Hasan’s Tale</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mariahtessjojasper/pseuds/Mariahtessjojasper'>Mariahtessjojasper</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Proof of Life, Wedding Guest - Fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, F/M, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 06:08:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Underage</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>37,416</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26619586</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mariahtessjojasper/pseuds/Mariahtessjojasper</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>35/23/0, 35/24</p>
            </div></td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. flight back from beirut</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The plane formerly known as the flying banana and still known as the yellow submarine is full. The yellow paint is gone, was finally replaced by gleaming silver paint but the name persists. The good spirits most of the passengers feel are dampened by the knowledge that Hasan is suffering. Everyone on board knows he is grieving, act accordingly around him. He sits across from McKenzie in the far back, the last two seats. Jo, Stephen and Max are in three of the middle four seats. Terry and Jay and Sammy are in front. Jenna standing in the aisle across from Jay. Dino and Paul are in the cabin. Dino in the pilot chair.<br/>Jenna: I’m going to do it. Thank you for the time. Nick is going to take off a semester so we can climb in October.  Gives me a little more time to prepare. <br/>Terry: A whole month off huh?<br/>Jenna: Hey Terry. Never took more than a week in five years.<br/>Terry: Not a criticism.<br/>Jenna: Jo wants to know if she could cover for me.<br/>Terry: Jo?<br/>Jenna: She brought it up.<br/>Jay: Africa? What’s in Africa?<br/>Jenna: Kilimanjaro.<br/>Jay: You going to climb it? You climb?<br/>Terry: Alice’s son aspires to the 7 Summits. He climbed Denali at 17. Kilimanjaro is next on his list. He met Jenna last fall, somehow talked her into climbing with him.<br/>Jenna: No I didn’t have to be talked into it. I wanted to go. Nick Alice's son wants me to do The Seven with him.<br/>Jay: That’s Everest? What else?<br/>Jenna: Aconcagua, South America. Elbrus, Europe,Vinson Mastiff, Antarctica, then there is debate either Kosciusko, Australia or Puncak Jaya, Indonesia. Nick favors Kosciusko.<br/>Jay: Why?<br/>Terry and Jenna in unison: Because it’s there.<br/>Terry: What do you think of Jo covering?<br/>Jenna: I told her I supported it. Interesting if something is going on. Get to know the people in The Shop. And something usually going on.<br/>Terry: So good from her point of view. What about ours?<br/>Jenna: She’ll be fine. Wants to please. Well-trained.<br/>Terry: We think you are one of a kind.<br/>Jenna laughs.<br/>Jenna: Keep thinking that. If you get stuck, I’ll come back early but I will be climbing for about two weeks. Fairly easy, nothing technically difficult. but it is 19,000 feet. Air gets a little thin. Most people don't need oxygen, not like Everest.  Everest is 5 miles from sea level, about 29,000 feet.<br/>Terry: We’ll manage. You deserve time off.<br/>Jay: Hasan wants to go to Pakistan. Samira wants Sammy and I to go. Not for revenge but to keep Hasan out of trouble.<br/>Terry: Don’t like being in the revenge business.<br/>Jay: It was acid in her face Terry.<br/>Terry: Israel and Munich vs Nuremberg. Hostilities stop. Mustard gas. Atomic bombs. Ends there. Otherwise it goes on forever. And we are not at war.<br/>Jay: But what we just did?<br/>Terry: It worked out.</p>
<p>Jay: Accidental overdose? Yemenis returned to the army they deserted from.</p>
<p>Terry: After Munich, Israel formed a team. The team had a list. I know a guy Avner who was on the team. He’s convinced trial wouldn’t have worked but he wasn’t good with it. Has nightmares. Still. Revenge not the way a soldier does things. <br/><br/>Jay: But what about Hasan?<br/>Terry: He’s our guy.<br/>Jay: So you help him.<br/>Terry: So we help him.</p>
<p>Jay: Even if it is revenge?</p>
<p>Terry: He'll have to decide once he knows what happened and who did it. </p>
<p>Jay: But you'll help him. </p>
<p>Terry: Yeah. We'll help him. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Dino's Plan to Propose, Hasan Calls</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Terry is sitting at one end of the couch in the London Penthouse. Alice is sitting at the other end of the couch, she has her feet in Terry's lap. Terry is rubbing her feet.<br/>
Dino comes in.<br/>
Alice: What time is it?<br/>
Terry laughs looks at his watch.<br/>
Terry: 2200 (twenty two hundred) Regiment time.<br/>
Alice: Where's Mac?<br/>
Dino: Went to stay with a girlfriend in some place called Cookham. She'll be back tomorrow. Some place in Berkshire.<br/>
Alice: You going to Painswick?<br/>
Dino: Yeah. Got a reservation. St. George suite. Tomorrow. She promised to be back in the morning.<br/>
Alice: So.<br/>
Dino: Goddamnit Alice. I'm going to do it your way.<br/>
Terry: Alice is usually right.<br/>
Dino: Except when she's not.<br/>
Alice: You are nervous.<br/>
Dino: No I'm really not.<br/>
Alice: No, you are really. Were you nervous Terry when you asked me?<br/>
Terry: No. I was when I kissed you the first time. <br/>
Alice: It was a very good kiss. It was my best kiss.<br/>
Terry: Still your best kiss?<br/>
Alice: Maybe. It had to last a long time.  <br/>
Terry: What about the one in front of the fire, when you came about the kids.<br/>
Alice: Very good.<br/>
Dino: You two know you disgust everyone.<br/>
Dino: I know you didn't get down on one knee, Terry.<br/>
Terry: No. It was the afternoon after she came to St. Augustine. Alice said, "I like kissing you." And I said, "You want to get married." And she said "Sure."<br/>
Alice: And I said, "You have a ring?"<br/>
Terry: And I said I can get one.<br/>
Alice: And you did.<br/>
Alice holds up her left hand. Wiggles her finger. You made me a ring from your guitar string. Now it is the heart of my wedding ring. A guitar string dipped in gold. I love my ring.<br/>
Terry: And you love your marriage.<br/>
Alice: And I love my husband.<br/>
Alice gets up on her knees, crawls down the couch and kisses Terry on the cheek.<br/>
Dino: You two disgust everyone.<br/>
Alice: Are you two done with Beirut?<br/>
Dino: All done.<br/>
Alice: What next?<br/>
Dino: Hasan. The girl he gave up Mac for died. He wants to go to Pakistan.<br/>
Terry: Yes.<br/>
Dino: We need to see what he wants when he has had a little time.<br/>
Alice: What do you mean? The girl he broke up with Mckenzie for is dead?  <br/>
Terry: Yes, she's dead.<br/>
Alice: When? What happened. <br/>
Terry: She died a few days ago.<br/>
Dino: Some kid drove up and threw acid on her face. They got her to a hospital, she was in a medically induced coma, but the motherfuckers didn't have a sitter with her and she wasn't restrained. She woke-up somehow, got up on the hospital roof and jumped off. She was killed.<br/>
Alice: That is horrible. Hasan? How is Hasan? He seemed like such a good person, a gentle person.<br/>
Dino: He’s shit. Loved her.<br/>
Terry's phone buzzes. Terry looks down.<br/>
Terry answers: Hasan. Sure. Dino is here. And Alice. I'll tell the doorman. I'll ask her if you insist. Mrs. Overlord is it okay if Hasan comes by.<br/>
Alice nods. She has tears in her eyes.<br/>
Alice: Of course Hasan can come.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. hasan comes to see dino and terry</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strike>Chapter 32: Hasan Comes to See Dino and Terry</strike><br/><strike>Chapter Text</strike><br/>Terry opens the door. Dino is sitting in an arm chair, he stands. Hasan comes in. Alice is still sitting on the couch, though she has turned and is sitting with her feet on the floor.<br/>Hasan walks over to Alice leans over her hand. Kisses her hand lightly.<br/>Hasan: Lady Overlord. Thank you for letting me come so late.</p><p>Dino: Now it’s Lady Overlord?<br/>Alice: It’s Sir Terry so I guess that makes me Lady Overlord.</p><p>Terry: That makes you Lady Alice</p><p>Alice: Lady Alice?<br/>Terry: Sit down, Hasan.  What can I get you?<br/>Hasan points to the chair next to Alice. Alice nods.<br/>Alice: Yes sit here.<br/>Hasan: Rye. Please. Ice.<br/>Terry pours from a bottle and adds ice. Hands it to Hasan.<br/>Terry: Lady Alice, Dino?<br/>Dino: The usual.<br/>Alice: Nothing thanks.<br/>Terry pours Laphroaig for Dino, a gin for himself.<br/>Alice: Terry told me about your fiancé's death. I am so so sorry. I know you loved her.<br/>Hasan: Some people are too gentle to live among wolves. I wanted to talk to Dino and Terry about some time off. I want to go see her family.<br/>Terry: You can have whatever time you need. Jay said he and Sammy might</p><p>want to go with you.<br/>Hasan: No. My sister needs Jay. They have a 2 year old. And, Sammy has two kids. Don’t need them.<br/>Dino: This can't be a Global operation.<br/>Hasan: I'm just going to see her family. Her grave. They buried her while we were in Beirut. They buried her before I knew she was dead. Dino I am not asking for anything from Global. Just time off.<br/>Terry: Dino is right this can't be a Global operation.<br/>Alice: He is telling you he wants time off to visit her grave. He's not asking for an operation.<br/>Dino: You are interrupting Alice.<br/>Terry: Hasan is going to find the people who attacked Amal. He doesn't want to involve Global but Dino and I don't want him to do that alone.<br/>Hasan: Just time off Terry.<br/>Alice: Hasan, if this happened to me.<br/>Hasan: Don't say that Alice.<br/>Hasan takes Alice’s hand.<br/>Hasan:Please don't ever say that.<br/>Alice: Listen to me. If this happened to me. If someone threw acid in my face and then I died because of that and Terry said he had to go to find out who did it would you go with him. Would Dino?<br/>Dino: Alice, I think Terry and I can handle this.<br/>Hasan: Of course I would go.<br/>Alice: So you must know that Terry and Dino will help you.<br/>Terry: Alice is right we will help you.<br/>Dino: How did Alice get to be part of the decision making around here?<br/>Alice: Maybe I should just make a casserole huh Dino?<br/>Terry: What? A casserole.<br/>Hasan: Terry, I need to do this. Don't know what I am getting into. You and Dino you can't be involved in a rogue operation. I know that.<br/>Alice: They want to propose something to you Hasan. Why don't you just listen.<br/>Dino: Duct tape.<br/>Hasan: Duct tape?<br/>Terry: Alice what do you suggest we do to help Hasan?<br/>Dino: Terry, she doesn't know anything about this. What is involved.<br/>Alice: I know Terry wants to help Hasan. And I know you do too. And I'm sure you can figure out a way to do that. Hasan, I'm going to bed now. Dino gets tetchy if I say too much. He tells me to go make a casserole.<br/>Terry: Dino, did you tell Lady Alice to go make a casserole.<br/>Dino: I did but...<br/>Alice: He did because he knows I make really good casseroles.<br/>Alice kisses Terry. She kisses Hasan on the check.<br/>Dino: Me too?<br/>Alice kisses Dino on the cheek.<br/>Alice: You too. Goodnight. Terry, you know I know what you do. I have always known.<br/>Terry: I know you do. Good night Alice. I'll be in later.<br/><strike>Alice: I know.</strike></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Agreeing to meet Hasan in five days</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strike>Chapter 33: Meet Me in Delhi</strike><br/>
<strike>Chapter Text</strike><br/>
Hasan: I appreciate that you want to help Terry, Dino, but I don't know of anything you can do. And you just finished an operation. And revenge.  You don't like it Terry. It feels wrong to you.<br/>
Terry: I don't like it.<br/>
Dino: Justice.<br/>
Hasan: That is all this will be, Terry. Revenge.<br/>
Dino: Justice.<br/>
Hasan: Terry, why did you do that, what we did in Beirut?<br/>
Terry: Couldn't not do it. Nathan, Connie.<br/>
Dino: Terry was okay with what we did. Nobody just kills one of our guys, especially for some bullshit reason. <br/>
Terry: Revenge. don't like it. Don't like doing it. One of mine, one of yours. One more of mine, one more of yours. That's the Godfather mentality. War is different. Germany, Hiroshima. Nagasaki. War is like chess. There are rules. The fighting stops. Soldier part is simple. War's over mates. Put down your guns, go home. Take the pieces off the the board.  Isn't personal. Don't take it personally. But one of our guys is killed like Nathan was killed, I take it personally. <strike>we weren't at war. Global, we rescue people. We get people out of bad situations.</strike><br/>
<strike>Dino: Chechnya. North Korea.</strike><br/>
Terry: We don’t kill people who aren’t in our way. We don’t punish people. Global, we rescue people. We get people out of bad situations.<br/>
Dino: Usually we do.<br/>
Hasan: I'm not asking you to help me.<br/>
Terry: What Alice said. If it happened to her. If someone did that to her. I would need to find them. Dino would help me. I wouldn't have to ask him. You don't have to ask us.<br/>
Hasan: You are like brothers, you and Dino. You even sound like brothers. You bicker like brothers. I just work for you. You don't owe me this.<br/>
Dino: Nobody just works for us.<br/>
Hasan: What could you do?<br/>
Dino: Grady wants to help you too.<br/>
Hasan: Grady? I just met him.<br/>
Dino: Part of the brotherhood man. Take our help. We would take yours.<br/>
Hasan: What could you do?<br/>
Dino: We can help you find out who hurt Amal. Who caused her death.<br/>
Hasan: Then what?<br/>
Terry: Then you will have to decide.<br/>
Hasan: And you will go along with what I decide?<br/>
Dino: We may not like it; we may disagree, but we will go along with what you decide. That's how it works.<br/>
Hasan: And you would help me?<br/>
Terry nods.<br/>
Hasan: Even if you disagreed, even if you thought I was wrong.<br/>
Dino: Even then.<br/>
Terry: War isn’t personal. Can’t take it personally.<br/>
Dino: But some things are different. Can’t help taking it personally.<br/>
Dino: Grady will go with you. We want you to fly into Delhi. We have a contact there that can get  you things you may need. Papers, guns, other things, we also have contacts in Pakistan. Mike Gale has contacts, so does Sammy. You can go up and cross at Amritsar. We have people on the border. Then go into Lahore.<br/>
Terry: Take the plane to Delhi.  Take Grady. Dino has something he needs to do tomorrow. And we have some business we need to finish here. Then we will come.<br/>
Hasan: No. Terry, Dino, I don't care if I come back. Terry, you are newly married. Don't risk that. Don't risk doing something with some guy who doesn't care if he comes back.<br/>
Terry: Jay cares if you come back. Your sister cares if you come back. Jay's little girl cares. Your mother and father. McKenzie. And Amal would not want you to sacrifice your life. We will help you do what you need to do. But this can't be a suicide mission. Amal deserves better. We deserve better.<br/>
Hasan: Pakistan isn't Beirut.<br/>
Dino: No it's fucking Chechnya.<br/>
Terry: Take Grady. Let Grady know what you are doing. He wants to go. He liked you. Felt for you. Meet us in 5 days in Delhi. Or if we need to we will come to Lahore.  Then you will know what you are doing.<br/>
Hasan: Okay.  Delhi in five days.<br/>
Terry: Alice hasn't been to India for a long time.  <br/>
Dino: Are you fuckin’ going to bring Alice?<br/>
Terry: I might. If she wants to go.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. dino and Mac at the Painswick Hotel</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strike>Chapter 34: Dino and Mac at the Painswick Hotel</strike><br/>
<strike>Chapter Text</strike><br/>
Painswick Hotel. Mac and Dino are sitting at a table by the window in the dining room. Early evening. Mac is dressed in a soft green linen dress, heels. She has mabe pearl earrings and an emerald tennis bracelet.  Dino a navy blazer, grey wool pants. White shirt, tie, silk socks, Italian loafers. Dino has knocked over a glass of water. The waiter has summoned a busboy to clean it up. <br/>
Mac: Dino, are you all right. Was Beirut upsetting?<br/>
Dino gets out of his chair, gets down on one knee in front of Mac, facing her.<br/>
Mac: Dino What are you doing. They cleaned up the water.<br/>
The room slowly becomes quiet as other diners realize what Dino is doing.<br/>
Dino: You are going to make me do this this way aren’t you?<br/>
Mac: What is it you are doing Dino?<br/>
Dino: I’m asking you to marry me.<br/>
Mac: You are, huh?<br/>
Dino: I am.<br/>
Mac: Well then ask.<br/>
Dino: Mac I have been in love with you since the first time I heard you laugh. Since I danced with you to my Duke Ellington records. I have wanted to marry you since the first night we spent together. I have never met anyone like you. Mac I love you. Not sure I ever loved anyone really til you. I have never felt this way about anyone. I can't put into words what I feel. Will you marry me?<br/>
Dino gets out the wooden box with the ring. Opens the box. Shows her the ring.<br/>
Dino: Are you going to answer me?<br/>
Mac: Hmmm. Better worse? Richer, poorer? Sickness, health? Til death? Forsaking? Can you say yes to that? All that?<br/>
Dino: Yes. All that. You left out have and hold, but yes to that also. Damnit Mac, it was easier to get into Delta than to get you to say fuckin' yes.<br/>
Mac: Okay.<br/>
Dino: Goddamnit. Say yes. Just say yes.<br/>
Mac: Yes, Dino.  I’ll marry you. I want to marry you. <br/>
Dino takes the ring out of the box separates it into three rings. He takes the pear shaped diamond ring and slips it on her finger.<br/>
Dino stands, leans over, takes her face in his hands brushes her hair back and kisses her sweetly. The room applaudes. Dino bows to the room. There is more applause. Mac waves. A waiter brings champagne. Dino goes back to his chair, sits back down.<br/>
Dino: Why did you take so fuckin long?<br/>
Mac: Wanted you to be sure it’s what you wanted. This is a beautiful ring.<br/>
Dino: It’s three separate pieces.<br/>
Dino: Belonged to my great grandmother. Was made for her in New Orleans. The box too. Passed to my grandmother then my mother wore it til she died.<br/>
Mac: Never given it to any of your wives?<br/>
Dino: Ex wives. No. Only you.<br/>
Mac: Why me?<br/>
Dino: Don't know. When my mother died, I put it away. Then I got it out for you.<br/>
Mac:When?<br/>
Dino: After San Diego. I’ve had it since then. Carried it around. Thought you might say yes.<br/>
Mac: Til tonight you never really asked me.<br/>
Dino: Yeah I did. It doesn’t matter. You said yes tonight.<br/>
Mac: Tell me about this ring, these three rings.<br/>
Dino: Well one is for the engagement. The diamond. It’s a purple diamond very rare. It’s two carats. Then the diamond band is for the wedding and then the opals on the third band are the first anniversary.<br/>
Mac: It’s beautiful. It’s unique. I’m glad you saved it for me.<br/>
Dino: Mac, really, why did you wait so long?<br/>
Mac: I told you I wanted you to be sure. Wanted til death us do part kind of marriage.<br/>
Dino: I was sure a long fuckin time ago.<br/>
Mac: But you are extra sure now.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Terry plans a trip to india</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strike>Chapter 35: Business Trip to India</strike><br/>
<strike>Chapter Text</strike><br/>
Mac, Dino, Alice and Terry are in the London penthouse. Early afternoon. Alice is looking at the ring on Mac’s finger.<br/>
Alice: It’s beautiful, Mac.<br/>
Mac: It’s part of a set. I’ve never seen a set like it.<br/>
Alice: Do you have a date?<br/>
Dino is standing at Terry’s bar, pouring scotch.<br/>
Dino: Fuckin’ soon.<br/>
Mac: Your wedding was beautiful. It was perfect.<br/>
Alice: My wedding planner is available now but is going to be in Africa all of October. Nick talked her into climbing Kilimanjaro.. It’s second on Nick’s pursuit of The Seven.  Ocotober is a good month to climb. He is going to take fall semester off. <br/>
Mac: He’s going to do The Seven Summits?<br/>
Terry: Says he is.<br/>
Mac: The seven on each continent, not the seven highest?<br/>
Terry: Right. Highest peak on each Continent.<br/>
Dino: So what is that? Everest, what else.<br/>
Alice: He’s done Denali. Climbed it when he was seventeen. <br/>
Terry: Mt Vinson, Antarctica. Kilimanjaro, Africa.<br/>
Alice: Aconcagua in the Andes. South America.<br/>
Terry: Very good, Alice.<br/>
Alice laughs.<br/>
Alice: Terry thinks I’m a bit weak on world geography.<br/>
Mac: They only know geography 'cause they have to know where to escape to if something goes wrong as it invariably does.<br/>
Mac: Elbrus,  Vinson, Aconcagua, Everest, Denali, Kilimanjaro. What’s the seventh?<br/>
Terry: Two lists. Bass list and Messenger list. On Bass list 7th is Kosciusko in Australia. It’s low though, 2000 feet and change. Lots of mountains higher. For real climbers, it’s just a hike. On Messenger list is Puncak Jaya in Indonesia, more respectable height. It’s nearly 5,000 feet. Nick is going the Bass list.<br/>
Mac: How did he get into climbing?<br/>
Alice: His freshman English class in high school. Read <span class="u">Into Thin Air</span> by Jon Krakauer, got fascinated. Went to a talk at REI given by a man who had summited Everest and was doing 7 Summits. Since he had done Everest said the other 6 were all downhill really. The Bass list. Took a class from the man. Joined a climbing club. Transitioned out of soccer which he had played since first grade to climbing. When Nick was 17 the man invited him to go with a group of climbers he was leading to Denali. He went. Other mothers still went to soccer games. I monitored the weather on mountain tops.<br/>
Terry: He’s a responsible kid. Careful, thoughtful.<br/>
Alice: Nobody freezes to death on the soccer field. So Mac when?<br/>
Dino: Soon. But we need to finish up some Global stuff with Hot Socks and the Honey Badger. Then go to India.<br/>
Terry: Want to go to India Alice?<br/>
Alice: What’s in India?<br/>
Terry: Hasan, by himself if we don’t go. Don’t want him to get into trouble.<br/>
Dino: Grady is there. But he can't stay. He's as good as Hasan. <br/>
Alice: Okay.  I'd like to go back to India. Peter worked on the Almatti Dam there in 1993. I lived in North Karnataka for awhile.<br/>
Mac:  I want to go. I like India.  <br/>
Dino: This isn’t some fuckin’ family picnic. If the men who arranged the hijacking are responsible for Amal, they are very bad guys.<br/>
Alice: There are a lot of interesting things to see in India. We have time. We don't have anything scheduled  until October. <br/>
Terry: We have the Global retreat in August.  Memorial for Nathan there.<br/>
Dino: Wedding roast. For you and Alice.<br/>
Alice: We plan to meet Nick and Jenna on Kilimanjaro in October and then go down to Johannesburg. Nick wants to visit Mali's grave.<br/>
Mac: Who is Mali?<br/>
Alice: Mali Jasmine.  I had a pregnancy in Africa. I miscarried at 5 months.  22 weeks. I always thought if I had been in The States, maybe ... The baby is buried in Johannesburg. Nick has said he always felt someone was missing in our family. He wants to visit her grave after he climbs Kilimanjaro. And Terry and I talked about going.  I've never been back. I’d like to visit the grave.  Even thought about having her moved to the states. <br/>
Terry: And I was going to pay my respects to Breaker Morant.<br/>
Dino: Who the fuck is Breaker Morant?<br/>
Terry: Australian folk hero. Boer war. Court-martialed and shot. Look it up mate.<br/>
Dino: Not that interested.<br/>
Terry: If you go Alice,  Dino and I may have to be in Pakistan for part of the time. You would need to stay in India.<br/>
Mac: Am I invited? Dino?<br/>
Dino: Don’t you have a trial or something?<br/>
Mac: No trial. Planning to go part time so I can plan my wedding.<br/>
Dino: I think spouses on business trips is a bad idea.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. flight back from beirut</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Grady and Hasan are at the Attari Wagah border between India and Pakistan.<br/>
Grady says, "We just walk across?"<br/>
Hasan hands Grady a passport and some papers.
" We just walk across. Yeah. Global isn't involved but they provided us with a little paper work. Told you. That’s why we were in Delhi.”<br/>
"Yeah who are we? And what are we doing here? "<br/>
"I am me. Hasan Megwhar. I’m here to see family. You are representative for the San Quintin Security Systems ."<br/>
Grady laughs, "Shouldn't I have some locks or something."<br/>
Hasan, "We'll be okay. The Indians don't care because we are leaving and on the Pakistani side are associates of some friends of mine who will be getting a little bonus this month. And when we cross into Pakistan they are going to welcome us."<br/>
Grady laughs, "Welcome us, huh?"<br/>
They walk across with no problems and take a taxi into Lahore.  Check into the Residency Inn.<br/>
"So Hasan can they talk to you. The girls?"<br/>
"Amal’s father has arranged for a meeting at one of my mother’s sisters' homes.  My mother has two sisters in Faisalabad. We’ll be at the younger ones place."<br/>
"You want me to go?"<br/>
"Sure. Came all this way. Might as well sit in. There were four girls with Amal when they came out of the mosque.  I’ve met two of them. The two I know speak English. </p><p>***</p><p>" This is your aunt’s house? "<br/>
"Family compound."<br/>
"Pretty nice. I'm impressed."<br/>
"Uncle by marriage is corrupt politician. Was a mayor.  They always manage the best. "<br/>
A black Mercedes is sitting in front. A man in a cap is leaning against the side of the car.<br/>
"That guy is probably the girls' driver. Their chaperone.   Come on in.<br/>
They go up the steps into a cool elegant house.<br/>
Three girls are sitting primly in the living room. Traditional dress.  A woman is serving tea, cakes.<br/>
"Auntie."<br/>
Hasan kisses the woman on the cheek.<br/>
She nods to Hasan, then Grady. "These girls have come to talk to you, Hasan.  Who is your friend?"<br/>
"This is Grady Morris. He is my minder. To prevent me from getting in to trouble."<br/>
"Welcome to my home Mr. Morris. Hasan, it is so good to see you. I miss your mother so much."
Hasan's aunt gestures toward the girls. "I’m told you know Sanaya and Zimal. And this is Yameena. Yameena understands some English but doesn't speak it. They were with Amal when it happened. "<br/>
Hasan bows to the girls.
"Thank you  for coming to talk to me. I am Hasan Meghwar, Yameena. This is my friend Grady Morris.  I know seeing what happened to Amal must have been terrible for you. "<br/>
Sanaya says, “We are sorry, so sorry. It happened so fast. We tried to help her. We couldn't do anything.  We took her to the hospital. We told her we would take care of her. We wanted to help.  We could do nothing. It was terrible.<br/>
"Can you tell me what happened.”<br/>
Sanaya says, "He came up on the motorbike.  He had a cap on. He said are you Amal?  She smiled at him. She had a beautiful smile."<br/>
Sanaya starts crying.<br/>
Hasan gets up walks over to Sanaya.<br/>
"She did have a beautiful smile."<br/>
Hasan takes her hand. Sits down on an empty chair beside her still holding her hand.<br/>
"Sanaya, in heaven she has the same beautiful smile. Please tell me what happened."<br/>
Sanaya sniffing, "He said, stop seeing Hasan. You were warned. And then he had a bottle a small bottle and he opened it and he threw something in her face. It was white a liquid and we could smell it and we could see it was hurting her burning her and she started screaming and she tried to  wipe it off and we tried to wipe it off but it burned our hands too and and we couldn't so I tore my skirt to hold the cloth to try to wipe it and I said it is acid and I knew we could not put water on it because men sometimes they do that with acid to wives they want to hurt and we heard never put water on the acid so we just tried to blot it with the cloth but it didn't help and she was crying and we got her to the car and told our driver take us to the hospital fast and at the hospital we screamed at them take her help her and they took her right away and then they gave her something I said what are you giving her and he said morphine it will make her more comfortable and they said we have to send her to Lahore and we called her father and told him what happened and her father screamed no no not my Amal and then they came her father and her mother but when they got to the hospital the helicopter had taken her to Lahore already so her father and mother went to Lahore and she was there and her mother stayed with her all night and the next day but her mother was tired and she went back to the hotel but and the second night no one was with her and she went on the roof and she died. She wasn’t supposed to wake up. They said they put her in a coma. But she woke up. She must have been confused."<br/>
All three girls are crying.<br/>
Zimal says, "She was so good. She never hurt anybody."<br/>
Hasan says softly, "No, you are right Zimal, she never hurt anyone. "<br/>
" She was kind, more kind than the rest of us. "<br/>
"Yes, she was kind.<br/>
Zimal looks at Hasan. "You loved her. She told me you loved her and you wanted to marry her."<br/>
"Yes I loved her. I wanted to marry her."<br/>
Zimal says in Punjabi, " Were you going to take her to America?"<br/>
He answers in Punjabi, "Yes I was going to try. Some friends were helping me."<br/>
Zimal still speaking in Punjabi, "But if she couldn't go to America she said you would come here."<br/>
"Yes I would come here."<br/>
Sanaya in English says," Do you think that is why they did that?”<br/>
"I don't know why they did it. I have come here to find out why. Did you know the boy? Did any of you know him?”<br/>
Sanaya shakes her head, "I did not know him. I had never seen him before."<br/>
The other two girls shake their heads.<br/>
Sanaya says, "But maybe Nadya did."<br/>
"Nadya is the girl who didn’t come?"<br/>
Sanaya says, "She said she couldn’t come. She had to stay at home for her little brothers. This is a lie. They have many servants. She was afraid to talk to you."<br/>
"Why do you think she knew the boy?"<br/>
Sanaya sniffs, "She started to greet him. She said “Oh hi” but later she said no she didn’t say that. That she didn’t know him.  I heard it. I said to her. Who was he? And she said I didn't know him."<br/>
Zamil agrees,"I heard it too. Hi. She said hi. She started to say his name.<br/>
Hasan turns to the third girl who has been silent.  He says in Punjabi, " Did you think Nadya knew the boy?"<br/>
Yameena starts to cry but she says angrily in Punjabi, "She was a good person. Her brother caused all this trouble. He is lazy and never took care of her. He gambled. He smoked hashish. All day. She tried to help him. I saw her face after the boy threw the acid. Why did they do that? Who would do that? I can’t stop seeing it.  It made a sound on her skin. I can't sleep. When I close my eyes I see her face. I hear her screaming.<br/>
Hasan repeats the question in Punjabi, "Did Nadya know the boy?<br/>
Yameena says in Punjabi, "She knew him. </p><p>***<br/>
Hasan and Grady  are driving back to the hotel in Lahore.  They stop at a roadside place. The men are all eating together. Some sitting on the ground. Some in chairs at tables.  No women. Grady and Hasan sit on the ground. Eat from metal tins, eat with their fingers dipping  bread in a fragrant stew.<br/>
Grady says, "This is good man. What is it? Is it goat? "
Saman laughs, "It is goat. Karahi."  
Grady smacks his lips, "These roadside guys can cook." 
Grady eats for a while. "This Nadya - how do you get to her?  She wants to avoid you."<br/>
Hasan yawns," Feel like driving the rest of the way back?  I'm tired man.  I been having trouble sleeping. Tonight will be worse, heard what the girls had to say.  Nadya. I've been thinking about that. Maybe the imam at the mosque where it happened will help." </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. The Imam Helps</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hasan and Grady walk into a mosque. A young man comes forward and embraces Hasan. "Hasan, Hasan, a terrible thing. A terrible thing. She is released, now at peace. But her mother, her father they are in such pain. And her brother. He eats nothing. He vomits. He looks like a skeleton. He cries. Blames himself. He comes every day, gets down on his knees. Could you talk to him?<br/>
Hasan: I will. Soon. First I want to talk you. There were four girls with Amal the day it happened.<br/>
"Yes. They didn't ask me for help. They just put her in the car and took her to the hospital. One knew it was acid. "<br/>
"Yes Sanaya knew. She knew it was acid. One is named Nadya. I need to talk to her. She may know who the boy on the motorbike is. I have talked to the others. They say she knew him.<br/>
The imam shakes his head, "She knew him. She is afraid."<br/>
"She talked to you?"<br/>
"Yes, Hasan, but she is afraid for herself and for her family."<br/>
Hasan says quietly, "I need to know who the boy on the motorbike is. I have no need of the girl if I have that information."<br/>
The imam says, "He is just a boy who was paid. And didn’t know. He thought he was just going to scare her."<br/>
"Do you know who the boy is?"<br/>
"Yes. I will bring him here to the mosque to talk to you. Nadya is afraid. He is afraid, but he will talk. Can you come back in one hour."</p><p>*</p><p>When they come back to the mosque, the imam greets them at the door.<br/>
The imam begins, "He didn’t mean for her to be hurt."<br/>
" Where is he?"<br/>
" In here."<br/>
The man takes Grady and Hasan to a small office in the back of the mosque. There is a boy about 16, sitting in a chair, hands folded in his lap. He is obviously frightened.<br/>
The Imam says in Punjabi, "These men need to talk to you, Zayyir."<br/>
He answers in Punjabi. "Are they police? I won't talk to the police."<br/>
Grady watches the boy attentively.<br/>
Hasan says in Punjabi, "No we are not the police. I am a friend of Amal."<br/>
"Imam, I don’t want to talk to them."<br/>
"Please talk to us. Amal was my friend. What you did caused her death. I can talk to Nadya. To Nadya's parents. I can come to your home. I can speak to your parents. I can tell Amal’s mother and father it was you. I can tell the police. You know what will happen."<br/>
"Please don’t tell them. Don't tell anyone. Please. I should go away."<br/>
"There is nowhere you could go that I couldn't find you. It wouldn’t be enough. She is dead because of what you did.<br/>
The boy begins to cry.</p><p>Hasan says gently, "Do you speak English."</p><p>The boy nods.</p><p>"Just tell me everything. You will feel better when you have told me"</p><p>"My brother is at University. A man came, he said he knew my brother.   That they were friends. He said a girl was causing trouble for another friend of his. That he had come to scare her. But he could not do it. He needed someone else to scare her. He said he would pay me to scare a girl. He said to throw something in her face.  He said it would sting her face only a little. It would not hurt her. He asked to see my motor bike. He rode it a little. He liked it. He said it was a good motor bike.  </p><p>"He said she was his friend's girlfriend and there was another man who wanted  to take her away, take her to America. And when I throw the liquid on her face she would know that she should not go to America, that she would know she could be hurt if she did not stop seeing the American. He said his friend loved her.  And she was hurting his friend. She would stop seeing the American but her face would not be hurt."  </p><p>"Did you know the man? Do you know his name? "</p><p>He said he was my brother's friend. He said call him Al.</p><p>Did you see him after?</p><p>He paid me 3000 rupees after. But after she died someone called me, maybe him. He said to tell no one his name or he would kill me. But Nadya knew me, we lived by them before. She knew my brothers. Nadya knew my name. Nadya told the imam it was me. He called me and he said I had to come but now I think they will kill me.</p><p>"Who is the boy who was Amal's boyfriend?"</p><p>I don't know but I don't think it is a boyfriend.“</p><p>Grady looks at him, says. "Why not?"</p><p>The boy turns to Grady and says, "Would a boyfriend hurt the face of the girl he loves? I think now this is something else."</p><p>"What?</p><p>"I don t know."</p><p>The boy is crying again, "I should have said no. But I thought my brother wanted me to do it. I should have called my brother."</p><p>Are you going to tell her parents? Nadya?  I called her and said she couldn't tell anyone. </p><p>And did you know it was acid?</p><p>No I thought it was like the soap for your hair in a bottle but it smelled funny, he said it would maybe sting her, but not harm her. In her eyes. He said it was like soap. Just liquid soap. But he said not to touch it. No I didn't know.</p><p>He is crying again. </p><p>I did not mean to hurt her. I only did it for the money and because he said he knew my brother. He gave me 3000 Rupees. I work as a courier on my motorbike. People ask me to deliver things. Pick up things. </p><p>Hasan says to Grady. "It is about $20." </p><p>Gradysay," He killed her for $20."</p><p>The boy says, "I didn't kill her. No I didn't know. I didn't know it would hurt her.  I needed  some money, I didn't' think it would hurt her. I didn't know please sir I didn't know. "</p><p>Grady snarls, "You fucking knew. You had to know it was acid you idiot. It was acid. "</p><p>Hasan says quietly, "I need to find this man who gave you the acid.  Where is he?"</p><p>"He knew me. He said my brother sent him. He knew my name. He knew all about my motorbike."  </p><p>"Did you talk to your brother? Did you ask him why? "</p><p>"I asked my brother. Later. I believed him before. My brother said he didn't send him. He said he didn't know him.  He said the man lied to me.  My brother, maybe he is lying. I don’t know.</p><p>"Who do you think he was?"</p><p>I don't know.  I am afraid sir. I am afraid now because if my brother is telling the truth if he didn't know my brother then who is he.  My brother said he didn't know him. I am a simple person. I don't know all this. I didn't mean for her to be hurt and now she has died. And the iman said I have to tell what I did. Please don't hurt me. </p><p> "What is your brother's name ?</p><p>“Awan Durrani.“</p><p>“Where is he.“</p><p>“Please do not hurt him“</p><p>“Have we hurt you?“</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Where is your brother?”</p><p>“At university in Karachi“</p><p>“What university?”</p><p>“Aga Khan“</p><p>“He is there but he says he didn't know him“</p><p>“Thank you for telling us.”</p><p>“You are the American“</p><p>“He’s the America.” Hasan points at Grady. “And he didn’t know her. I did, I am Hassan. “</p><p>“I am sorry sir.“ </p><p>“I may have to talk to you again. You saw the man. You are the only one who saw him. ”</p><p>“Yes okay.” The boy wipes his eyes. </p><p> </p><p>Grady and Hasan  walk out, leaving the boy in the office.  They find the iman sitting outside by a grape arbor. A wind has come up.  The leaves shake in the wind</p><p>“He is telling the truth he did not want to harm her. He believed he was sent  to scare her. Though I think he suspected there was more in the bottle than liquid soap. He thought the man was a friend of his brother's. He wanted the money. He didn’t want to think carefully about what he was doing.” </p><p>“Iman, do you know the brother?“</p><p>“Yes I know the family, the brother is a serious student. Aga Khan University in Karachi.”</p><p>“We will have to talk to him next.“</p><p>“I cannot imagine he would be involved with throwing acid on a girls face.”    </p><p>Hasan says, "There must be a connection. The man knew about the motorbike, knew where to find the boy.” </p><p>“What will happen to the boy?”</p><p>“Someone threatened to kill him if he talked about the man who gave him the acid. He could be in danger now. I may need him to identify the man when I find him. Can you offer any protection for the boy.“</p><p>The imam says,"I have people who will look out for the family, be watchful"</p><p>"That would be good"</p><p> </p><p>Grady and Hassan go back to the hotel</p><p>“Karachi is next?“</p><p>“ No I think Amal's family is next. Then Karachi and our motorbiker's brother.“</p><p>&gt;</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Amal's Family and Her Brother</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Amal's father embraces Hasan. Shakes hands with Grady. Shows them into a cool well furnished living room. Amal's mother brings tea. <strike>She embraces Hasan</strike>. Leaves.</p><p>Hasan says, “I hear Amal's brother is not doing very well. The imam says he cries, he prays all day.“</p><p>Amal's father shakes his head. "Vomiting all the time . Walking around the house all night."</p><p>"Where is he now?”</p><p>He is at the mosque. Every day since she died he is at the mosque. All day he prays. Our grief Amal’s mother and I our grief is very bad but his seems worse. He says it is his fault. </p><p>Hasan says, “How could it be his fault?”</p><p>Amal father says, “Because he didn't look after her, because he did not protect her as a brother should. Maybe because of the hijacking. He blames himself for involving her.”</p><p>Hasan, “Do you know anyone who might do this?”</p><p>Amal’s father says, “People say her old boyfriend, but that is impossible. We have known him. He would not hurt her. Even if she loved someone else. He would not disfigure her.  </p><p>“Does your son know who did it?”</p><p>Amal’s father looks down. “He does not say. He only cries. But I can tell he thinks it is the men from the hijacking. That is why he blames himself.”</p><p>Grady asks,“Will he talk to us?”</p><p>Amal’s father says, “He is unwell. Can you give him a little time.”</p><p>Hasan says, “A little time. We need to go to Karachi tomorrow. Then we will speak to him.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. The Motorbike Boy's Brother</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Aga Khan University, Karachi. Hasan and Grady are waiting outside a classroom. Both wearing suits and ties.</p><p>"I heard you were a charmer. Nice to know you haven't lost your touch. You recite poetry to all the girls when you need a class schedule?"</p><p>Hasan is laughing. "Girls like poetry. I can recite poetry in 5 languages. Hard to tell if it was the suit or the sonnet that got us the class schedule. " </p><p>" Yeah, could have been the suit."</p><p>Hasan smiles,  "I like poetry man. I read poetry. Nice to know poems."</p><p>Grady laughs, "5 languages, huh?"</p><p>Hasan says "I have one you'll like. "</p><p>Hasan begins reciting, </p><p><em>When a man hath no freedom to fight for at home,</em><br/><em>Let him combat for that of his neighbors; </em><br/><em>Let him think of the glories of Greece and Rome, </em><br/><em>And get knocked on his head for his labors.   </em><br/>’<br/><em>To do good to mankind is the chivalrous plan, <br/></em><em>And is always nobly requited;<br/></em><em>Then battle for freedom wherever you can,<br/></em><em>And, if not shot or hanged, you’ll get knighted.</em></p><p>Grady applauds, "Yeah, that’s good. I like it.“</p><p>Hasan bows slightly.</p><p>“Who wrote it? Some Englishman? "</p><p>“Lord Byron wrote it. yeah an Englishman.” </p><p>"Your boss, Terry. He’s a knight? Sir Terry and all that.”</p><p>“He is. We call him Overlord since his knighting."</p><p>"And his wife you call Mrs. Overlord."</p><p>Hasan looks at his watch, pulls open the door to the classroom. Walks in goes up to the instructor. </p><p>"Instruct the class to wait a moment," Hasan says in an authoritative voice. "We need to speak with your student Awan Durrani." </p><p>The instructor calls out to a student who is part way back in the room. Gathering up his books. </p><p>"He is there" the instructor points."Awan wait."</p><p>Grady and Hasan walk back to him.  Grady gets on one side, Hasan on the other.</p><p>"Hello who are you?"</p><p>"Do you speak English?"</p><p>Awan nods.</p><p>Hasan says in English, "You must come with us. We must speak to you."</p><p>Awan starts to resist.</p><p>"Who are you? No, I don't want to go with you. I don't know you."</p><p>Hasan moves close to Awan.  Grady close on the other side. Both have an arm under Awan's arms. They hold him in a vice like grip between them.  Hasan and Grady walk him out of the classroom between them. </p><p>Awan struggles a bit. </p><p>Grady whispers to him, "If you struggle man we will have to hurt you and we just want to talk. " </p><p>Awan stops struggling. </p><p>They take him to a car, an Audi SUV.  Hasan turns Awan around and Grady quickly binds his hands with plastic ties.  Hasan opens the car door. </p><p>"Get in please."  Grady pushes him into the back seat. Gets in beside him. Pulls out a gun. </p><p>"What are you doing. I've done nothing. You have the wrong person. Please put the gun away."</p><p>"No we have the right person.”</p><p>"If you just want to talk you don't need a gun."</p><p>Awan is breathing rapidly. Shallowly. He can't catch his breath. "I have done nothing. I am having a heart attack. I can’t breath. I’m going to pass out.Stop the car.”</p><p>Hasan says, “You are having a panic attack. No one dies from a panic attack.“</p><p>Awan is still breathing shallowly. “You must think I am someone else."</p><p>Hasan drives. Pulls up in front of Star View Guest house. Pulls the car near the door.  Hasan gets out.  Uses the key unlocks the door to the room, opens it a slightly. He walks back to the car opens Awan's door. Pulls Awan  out of the car walks him into the room as Grady comes around. </p><p>Grady laughs, “I had forgotten how nice it is to operate with a partner.“</p><p>“Yeah partner is nice.”</p><p>Awan says “Who are you? What do you want from me?”</p><p>Hasan says, “ Sit in that chair please.” Hasan gestures to a chair at a table by a window. “Sit, please.”</p><p>Awan sits.</p><p>“We would like to untie your hands. Will you cooperate with us?”</p><p>”We will tie you again if you try to run away or if you scream. We are trained to restrain people who do not cooperate with us.  We are trained to make people talk to us even people who don’t want to talk.”</p><p>Awan breathing shallowly again, “None of this is necessary”</p><p>Hasan says, “We want to speak to you about your brother.” </p><p>Grady takes out a knife. Awan screams.  Grady immediately clamps is hand over Awan's mouth. Hasan takes a roll of duct tape tears off a 6 inch stip. He nods to Grady, Grady takes his hand off Awan's mouth and Hasan simultaneously covers Awan's mouth with duct tape. </p><p>"Partner is nice."</p><p>“Shhh Awan.  I’m just going to cut the ties. Do you understand?”</p><p>Awan's eyes have grown wide. He is breathing rapidly shallowly again.  Grady cuts through the plastic tie easily. <br/><br/>“Will you be quiet now?”</p><p>Awan nods. Grady pulls the tape off. Awan rubs his mouth, his wrists. His breathing slows.</p><p>Hasan says, “We want to talk about your brother.“<br/><br/>“Please. None of this is necessary. Ah my brother.  You have come about the girl. I didn’t send the man. It wasn’t me.” Awan becomes calmer.</p><p>“Yes, the girl.”</p><p>“I did not send the man with the acid. No. I would not do that I would never  involve my brother in such a thing. I would never be involved in such a thing. Acid in a girl's face. It is barbaric.” </p><p>“We think you must know him. How could he know how to find your brother? Know that your brother had the motorbike. He knew your brother's name. Knew to go to your house. Knew the University where you study. “</p><p>“I don't know. I don't have an answer. It was no one I knew.“</p><p>“It is a mystery then”</p><p>“I don't know how my brother was involved. He works as a courier sometimes. To pay for gas, for repairs on the motorbike. Maybe that way. ”</p><p>Grady  says “We are going to tie you again, cover your mouth, take your shoes off.  And your socks. We don't want to hurt you but you are not answering our questions.“</p><p>”No please. I know nothing. Ask my brother again.”</p><p>"Is there someone, even a stranger, who you have told about your brother and his motorbike?"</p><p>“My friends here at University don’t know my brother.  There is no connection. There is no connection to me. I never sent anyone to talk to my brother. I know no one who is a friend of someone with a girlfriend problem in Faisalabad. No one. And I never heard of this girl or her family. " </p><p>"How can you be sure?"</p><p>"How is anyone sure of anything? I’m sure. My brother accepted what the man told him. Or he made it up.”</p><p>"What made up that the man was a friend of yours?"</p><p>"Yes."  <br/><br/>“Why would he do that?”</p><p>”I don’t know. Maybe to cover up something. Maybe to make me partly responsible.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. I lied about the man</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Call him. Call your brother."</p><p>Grady hands him his cell phone.</p><p>Awan punches in a number.</p><p>Grady takes the phone  “We have your brother. He says he did not send the man.”  </p><p>“Yes the man lied my brother did not send him.”</p><p>“But your brother must know him. Your brother had to have some contact with him. We are going to burn your brother's feet if he does not tell us who the man was.”</p><p>Hasan quickly  bends Awan's arm behind him. Awan cries out. </p><p>“Do you want to tell us anything?” </p><p>“I lied about the man and my brother. I knew the man. I met him at a hookah party my brother took me to.  Remember Awan, the party. Don't hurt my brother.  Please forget about this. If I tell you about the man, I can be killed.”</p><p>“Who came to see you?“</p><p>“A man from Syria. He was at the party. He talked to me about my motorbike. He had a motorbike too when he was 17. He likes motorbikes. He raced them. His friend is a fashion model in a Karachi. They were nice to me.The model he told me I was handsome. That maybe he could get me a job as a model to come and see him in Karachi. He liked to have his picture taken. He let me take his picture. They liked me.  They said they had packages to deliver sometimes here.  I gave them my address and phone number. I told them about my brother being at school in Karachi, maybe I could come. They were nice to me then.  But after she died they were not nice.”</p><p>Aman asks.  "The hookah party? They were there.You met them there? At Khalids?"</p><p>Zayyir: You met them. You smoked with them, you ... "</p><p>There is a gagging sound, a moan. The phone goes dead. </p><p>"Zayyir? Zayyir. Can you hear me?" <br/><br/>They dial again. No answer.  They call again.</p><p>"Something is wrong. "<br/><br/>Gradysays, "Maybe his phone just died. "</p><p>Awan annoyed, "No his phone didn't just die,  something is wrong."</p><p>Hasan asks,"Can you call your parents. Is there anyone you can call. "</p><p>Awan says, " My parents are away in the mountains.   I must go home. My brother is in danger now. It is 13 hours to drive."</p><p>Hasan has his phone out. "Let me make a call"</p><p>Hasan speaking into his phone. "It's Hasan. No I'm in Karachi. Just here for the day. Yeah no I'm good. I need an urgent flight to Faisalabad. Yeah okay no now as soon as possible." </p><p>Awan says "I want to go."</p><p>Hasan still on the phone, "Three. Okay 45 minutes. What gate? We'll find it."<br/><br/>Awan Says, “You can order a plane? What do you guys do. Who are you?"</p><p>"Old friend here. Private planes just sit around a lot of the time.  Who you know." <br/><br/>Grady says, "Even I’m impressed."</p><p>They drive to Karachi airport. Leave the suv parked in a lot there. </p><p>The three  walk out onto the tarmac. A man stands near a small Honda HA 420. The man greets Hasan.</p><p>”How the fuck are you? Where have you been?”</p><p>Hasan says “Hey Zaman. I went  private. Global now.  The Terry Thorne outfit. But here on personal business, friend was killed.”</p><p>“Hey man anything I can do. “</p><p> “Just need a ride to Faisalabad.”</p><p>Zaman says, “Sure on the house.”</p><p>“No, we can pay.”</p><p> “Come on, I owe you.”</p><p>“Let me introduce you. My friend Grady, Grady, Zaman, Zaman,Grady. Zaman is retired pilot. Pakistan Air Force. Has this plane. For hire. Zaman,  Grady claims to be an ex-Langley boy.  And this fellow is Awan, he's a student at Aga Khan."</p><p>“Langley? Bullshit. Gotta be a lie. Those guys never admit Langley unless they have a book deal. Grady, you have a book deal?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Not Langley.</p><p>Grady is laughing. “I like you Zaman. Forget Langley.” </p><p>Hasan says, “We need to go.”</p><p>They board.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Another Death</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A taxi pulls up in front of a large neat house, not so luxurious as Hasan aunt’s house still it is neat and attractive. They take their bags out of the taxi. Carry them up the steps to the front door.<br/>The front door is ajar. Awan pushes it open. Goes first. Calls out to his brother.  There is only silence.<br/>“Perhaps he has gone to a friend’s.”<br/>Hasan looks at Grady. There is a smell, metallic, dark, ripe, in the air. Both Hasan and Grady know what the smell means.<br/>“Wait, Awan.”<br/>Grady pulls out a gun, holds it down at his side.  Hasan does the same. <br/>“Stay with me Awan, right behind me. Stop when I stop. Say nothing. We are going to look through the house.”<br/>They clear the house. <br/>They find him face down in his bedroom. The back of his head is broken and bloody.<br/>Awan screams, "Call an ambulance he's been hurt. Oh no. My brother. My brother."<br/>Hasan walks over, leans down, feels the carotid. Shakes his head. “I’m sorry. There is no need for an ambulance. ”<br/>Aman sits on the floor, crying, cradles his brother's head in his lap.<br/>“Foolish boy. What have you gotten yourself into?”<br/>Aman says “I have to call my parents. Oh my mother. My mother. They are in Skardu. The mountains. We have a house there. There is only one flight a day. From Islamabad. It is two days drive.<br/>Hasan: Would you call your brother's phone please.<br/>Awan takes his phone out. Makes the call.<br/>A phone plays "He ain't heavy, he's my brother".<br/>The sound is coming from under the bed.<br/>Awan starts sobbing as he listens to the tune on the phone.<br/>Grady gets down on his stomach, looks under the bed. The phone is still playing. He retrieves the phone.<br/>Hasan: Whoever killed him didn’t take his phone.<br/>Hasan looks at Grady.<br/>Grady says, “They didn’t take his phone. Why didn’t they take his phone?”<br/>Hasan: The phone flew out of his hand when he was hit. It went under the bed.<br/>Grady: But we were calling. Wouldn't the killer have heard it.<br/>Hasan: Maybe the killer was interrupted before he had time to look for it. Maybe the killer didn't realize Zayyir was on the phone, or didn't associate the tune with the phone.<br/>Grady: Interrupted or amateurs.<br/>Hasan: Awan, will you allow us to take the phone. Maybe we can get into it. Learn something. We can give it to the police later after we have been through it."<br/>Awan: "Take the phone. Yes. It's okay. "<br/>Awan: Why did they hurt him. He is a simple boy. Do you need to leave? Who are you? You have guns. No. How can this happen to us. You can leave. I can say I found him. You are Americans aren’t you.<br/>Hasan says, “I’m Pakistani, like you. I was born here. I’ve been living in England.<br/>Hasan says, “You need to call the police now. ”<br/>Awan: ”Perhaps it will be difficult for you.”<br/>Awan is still sitting on the floor, his brothers head in his lap. <br/>Hasan shakes his head. “We brought you here. It is easier to just tell the truth. Though perhaps you could omit our methods of questioning you in the hotel. And that we have guns. The flight down may seem odd to the police but my friend the pilot will verify the flight. We’ve done nothing wrong. It will be alright."</p><p>Grady: I'll secure the phone and the guns. Wait a few minutes before you call.<br/>Grady goes down the stairs, brings in the suitcases, opens his, removes a false bottom, removes the battery from the phone, puts the phone, the battery and the guns in the compartment in the floor of his suitcase. Replaces the false bottom. He goes back up to the room.<br/>Grady: Call now.<br/>Awan: "Who would kill him? Why kill him? "<br/>Hasan says slowly, "Someone who did not want to be identified. The same person or people who asked him to throw the acid.<br/>Awan: Who shall I say you are? "<br/>Hasan says, putting a hand on Awan's shoulder, “Just tell the truth. Tell him we came to talk to you about your brother and the girl. Perhaps best under the circumstances if you say you were talking to us voluntarily. Say while we were with you, your brother suddenly stopped talking on the phone and that worried you and because your parents are away, you came down to check on your brother. We came to see if he was all right. You can say I am a friend of the girl’s. And the man with me is an American Security Consultant, here on business and a friend of mine. It will check out.”<br/>Grady says, “I do not think they will suspect us in his death.”<br/>“Would you really have burned my feet.“<br/>“No, we don't do that. Grady enjoys scaring people.<br/>Hasan begins punching in numbers on his phone.  “Uncle, I need a lawyer to come. A boy has been killed I need a lawyer to be present. The police have been called. The boy who delivered the acid is dead. I did not kill him. And I know there are decent police. But also some corrupt ones. Please I need a name. Someone politically connected who would have some sway with police. Alright, yes thank you. Immediately I think. The address. Just a moment.”<br/>Hasan hands the phone to Awan. Awan gives the address. Hangs up.</p><p>The police come, uniformed officers in cars with sirens on. They strut a bit. Hasan, Grady and Awan are separated. Asked basic questions. The time. The interrupted conversation on the phone. They deny knowing where the phone is. Plain clothes men follow.  The lawyer comes.  The boy’s body is taken away. The house is searched. No weapon is found. Hassan and Grady's bags are searched ostensibly looking for the weapon. The phone is not found. The guns are not found. Awan calls his parents. They will fly in the next day.  <br/>Hasan and Grady are questioned repeatedly. Only the lawyer’s presence and his connections prevent Hasan from being detained. The police and detectives finally leave.<br/>Awan decides to leave the house, stay at an aunt’s house. Hasan and Grady leave, go to back to Lahore, check-out of the hotel.  They want to go to Delhi but there is no soon flight open, so they fly into Kathmandu.  <br/><br/></p><p>Hasan calls Awan from Kathmandu. “Awan, we were concerned that some opportunistic constable might arrest us so we decided to leave for a bit. You have our cell numbers, call us if you need us. We are in Kathmandu and are flying to Delhi in a couple of hours. We‘ll be in Delhi for a few days. Then I will come back. We are meeting some people who will help. You can call us anytime. I am not leaving til I know what happened to your brother and to Amal, til I know who is responsible for their deaths.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. McKenzie Interview</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dino and Terry are in the bar at The Imperial Hotel, the 1911.<br/>'Come on Terry, why is Alice here?"<br/>"Because I invited her and she wanted to come."<br/>"I don't like it."<br/>"Dino, you were married twice since we opened the shop. I never said a word to you."<br/>"It's not the same. Alice is different."<br/>"You are about to get married again."<br/>" I would have walked through fire to get her to say yes. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and think what does she see in me."<br/>"Love who you love."<br/>"Dino you and I we are halfway to retired. We have someone running London. We’ve closed New York. We have someone running San Francisco and if Babbit works out we'll have someone in place in DC."<br/>"But we are here on business."<br/>"Not Global Business. Alice cares about Hasan."<br/>"Hasan. That guy. You like him don’t you, Terry?"<br/>"Yeah I do. Something about him. Soulful. He reads poetry."<br/>"Probably writes it too."<br/>"So Alice is here. What are you going to do with her if we have to take some action."<br/>Dino looks up at the doorway. Looks shocked.<br/>"Fuck. Shit."<br/>Terry turns around.<br/>Mckenzie waves from the doorway. Walks in. Walks to their table. Stands looking down at them.<br/>Dino says, “What the fuck are you doing here?”<br/>“So hi Dino. Quit the FBI wanted to interview for a job at Global. Terry said if I wanted a job, had to be interviewed by you two."<br/>Dino shakes his head. “So you came here?”<br/>“Well here is where you are so if I'm going to be interviewed I guess I had to come here.“<br/>Terry stands, pulls out a chair.<br/>“Don't give her a chair here.“<br/>“Well if we are going to interview her, she should sit down.“<br/>McKenzie sits down.<br/>“We are not interviewing her. We don't have any openings.“<br/>“Dino, come on, we always have openings for the right people.”<br/>“She is here chasing Hasan.“<br/>“Dino, I invited her here. I told her if she wanted an interview she had to come here.”<br/>“To the Imperial?“<br/>“To Delhi. She's on her own dime Dino. She wants to join us.“<br/>McKenzie touched Dino’s arm lightly. “I'm not staying here.”<br/>“No you’re probably at the same hotel with Hassan and Grady.“<br/>“Oh Grady's here?“<br/>Dino annoyed. “You know Grady's here.“<br/>McKenzie bats her eyeLashes at Dino.<br/>“Gee, had no idea.“<br/>Alice comes up to the table.<br/>“Dino. Terry. Mckenzie, nice to see you again. No kissing Terry.”<br/>Alice kisses Terry on the cheek. He stands pulls out a chair for her. She sits.<br/>“Alice I gave you my word no kissing Terry. There will be no kissing Terry ever again.  This is a beautiful hotel. Seems so British Colonial. Colonial India. Nice bar.”<br/>Alice looks from Terry to Dino to McKenzie. “Am I interrupting something?”<br/>“We are about to interview McKenzie. She's quit the FBI.”<br/>“McKenzie, what if they don't want you?“<br/>“They want me. Tried to hire me two years ago remember.”<br/>Alice smiles, “Ah a job or a week, or was it a month, in a French chateau.”<br/>Terry takes Alice's hand, lifts her hand kisses her hand. “That was before you came back to me.”<br/>McKenzie laughs.<br/>“If they don’t want me, I guess I’ll open a bakery. Or marry Lord what’s his name, from British Airways.”<br/>“A bakery?“<br/>“I’m a really good cook. Well a good baker. Good with desserts. Pastries. Cold hands.”<br/>Dino sniffs, “Cold hands, cold heart.”<br/>“No, Dino, cold hands, warm heart.”<br/>“So are you two really getting ready to interview McKenzie. I have things I can do upstairs.”<br/>“We are, but you can stay Alice.“<br/>Dino objects, “So not only did you bring her to India now she sits in on personnel decisions?”<br/>Terry, “So Mckenzie any reason we shouldn’t hire you?”<br/>“Well I am still in love with Hasan and you just hired my cousin Jo and I am awfully damn tired of paperwork.”<br/>Dino says, “See. I don’t think we should hire her.”<br/>“So Dino is reluctant. What do you think Alice?”<br/>Alice looks at McKenzie. “Hasan is kind of irresistible. And Jo isn’t immediate family. And she has promised no more kissing Terry. “<br/>“I absolutely have.”<br/>“And I like her. She has good instinct for restaurants. She took me to a great French restaurant in London.”<br/>Hasan is suddenly standing behind Terry.<br/>Dino looks up. “Well, hail hail, the gang's all here.”<br/>Hasan says, “Mrs. Overlord.“ He takes Alice’s hand, kisses her fingers. Walks over to Mckenzie kisses her on the cheek. “How are you?”<br/>She takes Hasan’s hand, squeezes it briefly. “I’m okay.”<br/>Grady stands quietly.<br/>Terry to Alice, “Alice, this is Grady Morris. He was with us in a Beirut. He's American. He's a big shot in Lebanon, in The Internal Security Forces Directorate. Old friend of Dino's, a clandestine services chap. Took time off for us. Really helped us. Without him, don't know where we'd be.“<br/>Alice offers her hand. Grady shakes her hand. "Mrs Overlord is it? Or do you prefer Ms. Overlord?"</p><p>Dino: Why not go with Lady Overlord? That’s the trend. <br/>Alice laughs, “Mrs. is fine. Glad to be Mrs. ”<br/>Hasan to Mckenzie “What are you doing here?”<br/>Dino says sarcastically, “Flew in for a job interview. We are not going to take her.”<br/>Alice says, “I think they should.”<br/>Hasan says, “You’d be idiots not to take her.”<br/>Dino asks, “Could you work with her?“<br/>Has smiles, “Of course. We aren’t bonobos.“<br/>Dino annoyed, "What the fuck does that mean?"<br/>Hasan laughs, "Bonobos are chimps that are primarily interested in sex. Maybe off topic."<br/>Dino, "You think?"<br/>Grady: No one is asking me but if I didn’t have a wife and a ten year old I would take her. You, Mckenzie. I like you."<br/>"Thank you."<br/>Terry laughs,"We are taking her. We asked her to fly here on her own dime to interview. That’s good enough for me. I know your work, McKenzie.You were great during the hijacking. No one better. You were good in Beirut.  Know your references. Dino does too. Dino wanted you two years ago. You and Hasan have any issues between you with the job, you talk to me or Dino.<br/>Dino slams his hand down on the table. “Business and love life, you keep it separate. Mckenzie. You hear me.  Unlike Terry here.“<br/>A waiter scurries over. “Sir, please sir, is anything wrong?”<br/>Dino to the waiter, “Every fucking thing is wrong man. Every fucking thing. “<br/>Terry says to the waiter. “Everything is fine. Give us a few minutes, then our friends will order. Could you bring a few more chairs.”<br/>Water: Certainly sir.<br/>Alice reaches over takes Dino’s hand, “You miss her, now. When you go away.”<br/>“No, I don’t fucking miss her. I miss the way things used to be. Global was a guy thing. Me and Terry. The guys. And all this relationship bullshit wasn’t part of what we did. Just guys. You understand that Alice? A guy thing.”<br/> "So Dino, what would you have us do?”<br/>"I get things change goddamnit. Okay McKenzie you are hired. I know you are good. But don’t you make any trouble for him.” Dino points to Hasan.<br/>“No trouble, you got that, I mean it. You are on probation for 6 months. Any trouble, anything, you better dust off your damn cookie recipe.”<br/>Dino gets up. Picks up his glass downs the last of his scotch and leaves the table. Walks toward the doorway. Stops turns around comes back to the table.<br/>Dino says to Hasan,“Were you going to update us? Tonight?”<br/>Hasan says, “It can wait til in the morning Dino.“<br/>Dino: “Yeah okay, thanks.” <br/>Dino turns around starts for the door again. Alice gets up and catches him, slips her arm through his. Walks with him.<br/>“Alice, what are you doing?”<br/>“Dino, what would it have been like if I hadn’t gone home with my husband. Back then. In Tecala. Or if I’d left him after a year or two for Terry?”<br/>“You didn’t.”<br/>“It would have been easier. You wouldn’t have had twenty years to get used to doing things together. Just you and Terry. But you know what I’m like. I would have been part of things then too like now. Cause that is me and that is the kind of relationship Terry and I have. And you have it with Mac. She’d be sitting there with us. She'd give her opinion, and Dino you know you would want her opinion.  If she were here. And you want her here. You miss her.”<br/>They walk toward the glass doors to the lawn. There are chairs and outdoor heaters.<br/>Alice pushes the doors open. Dino follows.<br/>“You should go back inside, Alice. ”<br/>“I want a truce.”<br/>“Alice, I don’t want to share Terry at Global. With our shop. In shop business. I don’t like it.”<br/>“Shall I leave him? Go back to California. The house isn’t sold.”<br/>“Can’t you just stay out of Global business?”<br/>“I guess I could, but I don’t really want to. I didn’t go to Beirut.”<br/>“But you are here.“<br/>“I’m here. Dino we were apart. We wanted to be together but we were apart. All those years. I don’t want to be apart when we don’t have to be.“<br/>“But he asks your fuckin' opinion about everything“<br/>Suddenly Terry is standing there.<br/>Terry says, ”Not everything.”<br/>“Oh fuck you left Hasan and Grady alone with McKenzie.”<br/>“I think Hasan can handle it. I have every confidence in the guy. Mind if I sit down?“<br/>“Sit please.” Dino pushes a chair away from the table with his foot. Terry pulls it out the rest of the way, sits.<br/>“Dino, I know you love Alice and I know Alice has changed things.”<br/>"God damnit she is practically Yoko fucking Ono.”<br/>Alice annoyed, “Dino, I’m not going to break-up the band.”<br/>Terry, “Stop it, Dino." <br/>"She has changed things. You never once took your chef on a job, you never asked her opinion once on a Global matter.”<br/>“I didn’t because I didn’t care what her opinion was and I was glad to be away from her at times. It’s not like that with Alice”<br/>“I know it fuckin’ isn’t. It's obvious it isn’t. I just, I don’t know, man I’m having trouble accepting the change.“<br/>Grady walks up.<br/>“Join you? Beginning to feel like a third wheel there”<br/>“You two are here now, think I’ll head back to Beirut and my wife and little girl. It’s been fun. Miss the action. Sit behind a desk too much these days.”<br/>“Learn anything?”<br/>“We got closer. Someone else is dead now, the boy who threw the acid. Probably our questions that lead to his death. Probably a sign we made progress.“<br/>“Is Hasan okay in there with McKenzie ?“<br/>“They are talking about would he have taken her as his second wife if he'd married Amal. Sounds like a conversation they've had before. “<br/>Dino says, “Goddamnit man, this job is getting too fucking complicated for me.”<br/>Grady: “Okay if I go back to Beirut tomorrow?“<br/>Terry smiles, “Sure.“<br/>“We’ve got a conference room in the morning meet us there, we’ll talk it through, then you can go. Thank you. We’ll pick up all your expenses pay you per diem. Really appreciate all you did in Beirut. And coming here.“<br/>”Beirut is on me. Owed Dino a favor.“<br/>“Nah, you didn’t man. But thanks.“<br/>“You ever want a job with us let us know“<br/>“Yeah I get an interview like McKenzie got.“<br/>"Nah yours will be easier, we won’t ask you to pay your own way to the interview."<br/>"Too settled now. I'll stick with the ISF. Daughter and wife happy. But like I said sometimes miss the action. Sometimes restless stuck behind a desk. Enjoyed this. Sorry you lost a guy.  ISF is good to me. Lots of flexibility. Nice office. Time off like now when I want it. But if you need me call me."<br/>Dino says "Door's open man."<br/>Terry adds, "We’d like to have you."<br/>Alice smiles.<br/>"Nothing to say Alice?"<br/>Alice shakes her head. <br/>Dino gets up. Dino and Grady walk away together.<br/>Terry and Alice sit at the table by the heater.<br/>"You are going to make him crazy."<br/>"No, Mac will settle him down. He just had you all to himself for so long I feel like an intruder to him sometimes. "<br/>"You're not Yoko Ono."<br/>"He's like an annoying older brother. I understand him. And he saved your life."<br/>"He didn’t Alice. My life wasn’t hanging in the balance."<br/>"You could have bled to death."<br/>"Stop it."<br/>"It’s okay. I believe it. Let me believe it. It makes me forgive him everything."<br/>"Okay. Come on Mrs Overlord, let's get you to the Maharajah Suite."<br/>Alice smiles,"Whither thou goest...”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Just here on vacation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Terry, Dino, McKenzie, Hasan and Grady are in a small nicely furnished conference room in the Imperial Palace. Ten upholstered chairs around a rectangular table. Terry at one end. Dino at the other. A side table with coffee, tea, scones.<br/>
Dino looks at Hasan, then McKenzie. “You sure you two are okay.”<br/>
Both McKenzie and Hasan nod.<br/>
Dino: Feels weird.<br/>
Dino turns to Terry. “Sure you don’t want Alice here.”<br/>
Terry makes his hand into the shape of a gun, shoots Dino with it.<br/>
Dino says, “Fuck. Just asking.”<br/>
Terry says to the others. “Alice and I are fine. Dino going thru a little period of adjustment. He thinks I have involved my new wife in GRAMPS affairs.<br/>
Dino: Don't call it that. You did that to needle me.<br/>
Terry: Why do we all put up with you Dino?<br/>
Dino: Cause I’m the real fuckin’ deal. The rest of you are dilettantes. Except Hasan. And he the fuck knows nothing about women.<br/>
Terry: Like you do know women.<br/>
Dino: Got her to say yes didn’t I?<br/>
Terry: Took you a year.<br/>
Dino: Took you twenty.<br/>
Terry: She was married to someone else.<br/>
McKenzie clears her throat. “I know you two are known for this brotherly banter, frankly it is more like squabbling, but I have better things to do with my time than be the audience for this.“<br/>
Dino: No you the fuck don’t. You are on the Global clock as of this morning and you do whatever we ask you to do. And if we want an audience for our squabbling, that’s what you do. You are not in the fucking FBI anymore and I’m head of Global’s Human Resources so there is no one to complain to. You sure you want this job?<br/>
McKenzie gets up out of her chair walks around the table to Dino, kisses Dino on the cheek. “I want this job. Squabble as much as you like.”<br/>
Dino wipes the cheek where she kissed him with his hand as if to wipe off the kiss.<br/>
Dino: I thought Alice made a rule no kissing.<br/>
McKenzie: The rule is no kissing Terry.<br/>
Grady: If you kissed Dino, but can’t kiss Terry, Hasan and I are available to be kissed.<br/>
McKenzie: I only kiss the bosses. Sorry.<br/>
Dino laughs. “Terry said if we hired you, you’d be running Global within a year.”<br/>
Hasan shakes his head. “Probably only take her six months for a complete takeover.”<br/>
Dino: Okay, lay it out for us, Hasan.<br/>
Hasan: Yeah. Okay. We found the kid who threw the acid. One of the girls, Nadya,  who was with Amal at the mosque knew him. Used to live near the family. She told the imam. We started with the girls but then went to the imam. He brought the boy to us. Teen, sixteen. He claimed a friend of his brother at university sent the man with the acid to him. But that was a lie. The brother didn’t send anyone.  But the connection seems to be a hookah party. The boy who threw the acid was brought by the older brother to a hookah party in May sometime. The brother was smoking with some guys.   We went up to Karachi talked to the brother. Were a little aggressive with him. Partly just for fun. He was a good sport. Got him to call the younger brother while we were there.  Somebody attacked the younger brother while we were in Karachi on the phone with him. The phone went dead.  We got to the younger brother as soon as we could. Flew down. He'd been hit in the back of the head.  He was dead.  No murder weapon, but the kid's phone was still there. Kid was hit so hard caved in the back of the skull. Body barely cool.  We took the phone with the older brother’s permission.<br/>
Terry: You have the phone here ?<br/>
Hasan puts the phone on the table. “Password protected”<br/>
McKenzie: Maybe I can help with that. Have a few contacts who might be able to get thru a password.<br/>
Terry: Okay with McKenzie helping?<br/>
Hasan: Yeah, good. Thank you.<br/>
McKenzie smiles at Hasan and nods. He smiles back. Shakes his head.<br/>
Grady: I like the brother. We can depend him. One of Amal’s friends, Nadya, knew the boy who throw the acid though she denied it. She may know more than she’s said. We didn’t talk to her because the imam knew who the boy was and he brought him to us. The imam may know more. And the girl may know something.<br/>
Hasan: I have to go back to Pakistan. Can’t solve it from here.<br/>
Terry: Jay wants to come. Skunk Bear wants him with you. Sammy wants to come. He has family in India. Also contacts. The boy’s death will make the Pakistani police more interested. Can you keep out of their way?<br/>
McKenzie: Who is skunk bear please.<br/>
Dino: Don't interrupt. God damn it why do women think they can just the fuck interrupt.<br/>
Terry: Samira Meghwar Shah.<br/>
McKenzie: Hasan, your sister is Skunk Bear?  Jay‘s wife? You call her Skunk Bear?<br/>
Dino: You are interrupting.<br/>
Hasan: She wanted to be called Wolverine but Jay said the other name for wolverine is skunk bear.<br/>
Dino: Does anyone mind if we do a little business here before McKenzie- someone give her a fuckin’ name - Genghis Khan might be a good one - takes the fuck over Global completely.<br/>
Hasan: I can manage in Pakistan. Even if the police want me. I have been in Pakistan under other identities. In Afghanistan also. Some are too dangerous to reassume. But there are others, it’s not a problem. I have resources, I can use.<br/>
There is a soft knock on the door. The door opens. Jay and Sammy are there.<br/>
Jay: Heard you might need a little back up.<br/>
Hasan: Don’t any of you know what I used to do? I don’t need back up.<br/>
Dino: We all the fuck know what you used to do. Why we hired you. Good at what you used to do. But band of brothers and all that. We know you can do it. Have done it. But part of working for us, is you don’t have to. We help each other. Everyone in this room wants to help. Well except for McKenzie and I don’t the fuck know what she is even doing here.<br/>
McKenzie: I work here.<br/>
Dino: Now. You didn’t yesterday.<br/>
Jay frowning, “For GR, er Global?”<br/>
McKenzie: “Interviewed yesterday. Hired on the spot.”<br/>
Jay reaches across the table, shakes her hand. “Welcome aboard.”<br/>
Sammy leans across also shakes, “Welcome to the circus.”<br/>
Terry: Okay Hasan. You tell us who you can use and how you want to do this. Your show, your actors.<br/>
Dino: Clown show.<br/>
Terry: Dino and I will underwrite it, but it is among friends not a Global operation.<br/>
Hasan: You don’t need to. All these people. Terry, it’s expensive.<br/>
Terry: Me? I’m just here with my wife. She hasn’t been to India for years, wanted to see it again. Extending our honeymoon. Just visiting the temples and the colonial hotels. Maybe see Kathmandu, go to Everest base camp. And Dino’s fiancé wants to come.<br/>
Dino: She shouldn't. She wants to. But I don’t want her to. What are we becoming? The Pickle Family Circus?<br/>
McKenzie bursts out laughing.<br/>
Terry: We are vacationing, so a few friends drop by. Not a problem for the budget.<br/>
Sammy: What is the Pickle Family Circus?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Sightseeing With Lovely Wife</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Terry and Dino and McKenzie are back in the conference room. </p><p>Hasan comes in. </p><p>Hasan: I can go alone. It is simple that way.</p><p>Terry: Hasan I prefer that you take Jay and Sammy. They came all this way. Jay has worked in Pakistan. Sammy has contacts.</p><p>Hasan: I have contacts.</p><p>Dino: We don’t want to fight you on this. If you are determined to go alone.</p><p> Mckenzie: Can't you listen to them? </p><p>Dino: You were doing so well McKenzie just sitting quietly.</p><p> McKenzie: It's a speak-when-spoken-to thing is it Dino? </p><p> Dino: For you it is. </p><p>Hasan: All right. Sammy and Jay. I'll take Sammy and Jay. Talk to the Imam and Nadya. The brother again.</p><p>Terry slides a leather pouch across to Hasan. </p><p>Hasan: What's this? </p><p>Terry: Rupees. Dollars. A credit card.  Equivalent of $50K cash mixed rupees and dollars, $50k limit on the credit card. Call me if you need more.  </p><p>Hasan:I thought you said this wasn't on Global. This isn’t necessary.</p><p>Terry: Not on Global. On me and Dino. Spend what you need to. We take care of our guys. After, if you want to talk about repayment we can do that. But you won’t be any good to us til this is done.  Investment. If you had injured knee or shoulder we’d be certain you had treatment needed.  Insurance would cover. This is equivalent. What is needed. We’ll pay. <br/>
Hasan: Isn't exactly a work injury.</p><p>Terry: If you injured your shoulder rock climbing on your own time, we’d still cover treatment. <br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Hasan: You’ll let me talk repayment.</p><p>Terry: Sure, but Honey Badger says maybe it can go on the books as training.  Doesn't matter. Told you we would underwrite it.  We are going to do that.</p><p>Dino: We take care of our guys. </p><p>Terry: And Dino and I will sight-see, me with my lovely wife. And  Dino with his beautiful fiancé. And we will meet quite coincidentally with you from time to time. And everyone knows we are generous to our guys.<br/>
Mckenzie: And your girls?<br/>
Dino: And generous to our girl-guys too. <br/>
McKenzie: Girl-guys?</p><p>Hasan:Fiancé? You getting married again Dino?  Another cheerleader?</p><p>“Done with cheerleaders.“ </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Sammy, Jay and Hasan</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hasan and Sammy and Jay cross back into Pakistan. Go to the Residency Inn.<br/>
Sammy: Swim?<br/>
Jay and Sammy both laugh.<br/>
Hasan: What is the joke?<br/>
Jay: Your sister swam here without a swimming costume.<br/>
Hasan: No? Naked. My sister naked in a hotel swimming pool in Pakistan?<br/>
Jay: She was.<br/>
Sammy: We were look-outs<br/>
Hasan: Quite a risk.<br/>
Sammy: She did it to seduce Jay.  Wasn’t as sure of him then.  He’d been burned. Didn’t want to take her back.<br/>
Hasan: My sister.  Jay, don’t know why you’d choose her.  <br/>
Jay: Your sister Skunk Bear says “kismet.”  She used me.  At first. But known lots of girls. Never really loved one til your sister.<br/>
Hasan: She’s a mess, Jay.  We had servants. She never picked up anything, she just dropped her her clothes all over the house, never washed a dish.  How do you put up with her? And she just goes along. She’s an opportunist. <br/>
Jay: She’s better. She’s better since we had Chatty. India changed her.  And her photography changed her.  <br/>
Hasan: You changed her. You could have had your pick Jay I know that.<br/>
Jay:  You love who you love man.<br/>
Hasan: Yah . Lovers don’t meet they were in each other all along.<br/>
Jay laughs: Rumi.  <br/>
Jay: Nobody like your sister.  Think she fell in love with how much I loved her.<br/>
Hasan: You are too good for her. <br/>
Jay: You don’t appreciate her. <br/>
Hasan: I appreciate what there is to appreciate.<br/>
jay: She stuck up for Amal, for you being with Amal.  <br/>
Hasan softly: My dove.<br/>
Jay: So what are we doing.<br/>
Sammy: You have a plan?<br/>
Hasan: The girl Nadya. She knew the boy on the motorbike. He talked to her.  And the Imam.  They are next. Before he was killed the boy on the motorbike told us about a hookah party. The man who gave him the acid was there. And there was a man who claimed to be a fashion model. The older brother took him to the hookah party. We have leads.  I like the older brother. He’s a student. Grady and I practically kidnapped him.  He cooperated. Was a good sport about it. He may know more.  And he is invested now because whoever hired his brother to throw the acid, the same person or persons most likely killed his brother.<br/>
</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Yellow Sandals  (7)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Imam: Her parents don’t know. But she will talk to you. She doesn’t want anyone to know. She feels terrible about everything. Amal. The boy on the bike. She says she doesn’t know anything but she says she’ll meet you. A driver is bringing her.<br/>
Hasan: Thank you.<br/>
Imam: Will you all be there.<br/>
Hasan: We would like to see her the three of us. It’s better. You may wait with her if you like.</p><p>The imam takes Hasan Jay and Sammy to a classroom with tables and chairs. Blackboards.<br/>
Imam: Wait here.<br/>
The imam leaves and Sammy Jay and Hasan pull out chairs and sit at one of the tables. The imam returns 10 minutes later with a young woman. She is dressed in a black burka. She has a round pretty face. Tendrils of hair are visible around her face. The three men stand as she enters.</p><p>Imam: This is Hasan Meghwar, Jay Shah and Sammy Noor. They want to talk to you about Amal and the boy with the acid. She looks down but nods.<br/>
Hasan: You have done nothing wrong. We only want to talk to you. Do you know who I am?<br/>
Nadya nods.<br/>
Nadya: You are her boyfriend. I am sorry. I am not involved. I don’t know anything.<br/>
Hasan: You knew the boy on the motorbike.<br/>
Nadya purses her lips.<br/>
Hasan: Please Nadya. She would want you to tell us.<br/>
Nadya: He is dead. They killed him. The men with the acid.  Perhaps they will kill me too.<br/>
Hasan: We can protect you<br/>
Nadya: I knew the boy. Zayyir.  We lived near them when I was younger. I knew the family. He has two older brothers.  The oldest brother is my age.  I began smoking when  I was eleven. His brother would give me cigarettes, after a while he made me buy them. We could  sneak away.  The oldest brother made money selling cigarettes. Not just to me. Then we moved away.  I had not seen any of them but of course I knew him when I saw him.  After the acid he called me. He asked the imam for my number. He told me he had been paid.  He said it was someone he met at a hookah party. He thought they knew his brother. His brother took him to the party. A Syrian and a guy from Karachi, a fashion model.  He said the Syrian liked motorbikes. He told them he was a courier. They said sometimes they need things delivered. He gave them his address and phone number. The Syrian said he had a friend who was Amal’s boyfriend, that the friend wanted to scare her. Zayyir  swore he didn’t know it was acid. He felt horrible. He said the man was watching. When he threw the acid. Watching from across the street. The man wanted to watch the acid being thrown.  And after he paid him. But Zayyir didn’t want the money then.  Because he thought it was just soap.  And the man told him he did well.  And that he had come here to help his friend who didn’t want Amal to leave Pakistan. He said he was sorry he didn’t tell Zayyir the truth about the acid.  Zayyir was naive.  The man said now Amal wouldn't leave Pakistan. That the new boyfriend wouldn't want her. That she would stay home with her parents. Zayyir promised he never told the man about me but maybe before he died he did.  Maybe the man will come after me now.</p><p>Hasan: But you don’t know anything.  </p><p>Nadya: There was a man across the street. I couldn’t see him well.  Only later I remembered I’d seen him. I didn’t see his face. He had on yellow sandals. Bright yellow. I focused on that I thought it was odd a man in bright yellow sandals. But I only remembered when Zayyir said the man watched.  I think it might be the man in  the yellow sandals.</p><p>Hasan: Yellow sandals.  <br/>
<br/>
Nadya: Yellow sandals. He was dressed in dark blue. Traditional dress.  But yellow sandals.  Yes then everything started happening. Amal was screaming. We wiped her face but where our hands touched we were burned, she was burned. It was horrible. The boy drove away.  Speeding away. And then later after she died, after she jumped and Zayyir and I talked and he said the man watched. I remembered the sandals. I wondered if it was the man in the sandals. <strike> Zayyir drove away Amal was screaming. I knew him. He called said he was sorry. He said he didn't know it would hurt her. He said he was told it would only scare her. He  told me not to tell, then when she died he called me again.  I went to the imam. I talked to him I didn’t know what to do then Amal jumped and I knew Zayyir  was sorry he was a wreck crying and afraid too. </strike> And I don’t know but maybe he knows maybe the man thinks I saw him. But maybe it wasn't him. I just saw sandals. That is all I know. I’ll do whatever you want. </p><p>Hasan: Can you describe him at all?  Fat, thin? How tall. Was he carrying anything?</p><p>Nadya: No I don't know.</p><p>Jay: It would help us if you showed us. We can walk outside.  One of us will stand where you saw him. Perhaps you will remember something else.</p><p>Hasan: Would you do that for Amal.</p><p>Nadya: Please I don't want to. No. Don't ask me to help you. I can't do anything else. </p><p>The imam asks Nadya to come with him please and they leave the room for a few minutes.  They come back in and the imam says she will try to help you. Nadya does not usually wear a burka but she wore one today hoping no one will recognize her.  </p><p>They go outside. </p><p>Hasan: Here is where you and Amal were standing. </p><p>Nadya: Yes here.  I was here, Amal was here.  He rode up. I was looking across the street.</p><p>Sammy says, "I'll go across the street."</p><p>Sammy walks across the street.   Stands next to the building.</p><p>Hasan: There?</p><p>Nadya. A little to the left. </p><p>Hassan: Is he the same height?</p><p>Nadya: About the same yes. He had a phone. I remember now he had a phone. He was holding up the phone.  Maybe he was recording. I didn't remember the phone. I didn't remember the phone. Once Amal started screaming we just got her in the car. I didn't think about the man anymore.  Not til Zayyir said he watched.  Do you think he recorded it?</p><p>Hasan: It's possible. If he wanted to watch, perhaps he recorded it as well.  You had never seen him before. </p><p>Hasan motions for Sammy to come back.</p><p>Hasan: Did he look at all like any of us. </p><p>Nadya: Like him. She points to Sammy. </p><p>Hasan: Like Sammy?  </p><p>Nadya: A little I think. Their height and weight about the same and the hair. He had his hair back in a ponytail like Sammy. It was long. Very black. Maybe it was oiled. His face was in shadow though. I didn't know him. </p><p>Hasna: If we showed you pictures would you try to identify him?</p><p>Nadya:I am afraid.</p><p>Jay: Was he wearing socks? </p><p>Nadya: No no socks. Something on his ankle maybe. Something shiny. Maybe a bracelet. Maybe just something a buckle  on the sandal. The sun caught it for a second. I think. I'm not sure. </p><p>Sammy: His hair in a ponytail. Could you see what held the hair back? </p><p>Nadya. No I could see his hair was pulled back. And when he turned I could see the ponytail. </p><p>Nasna: How long was it? </p><p>Nadya: Maybe it wasn't him. Maybe he was just an innocent guy standing there. </p><p>Hasan:  Maybe he was. It can't hurt thought to tell us all you remember. </p><p>Nadya: You won't tell the police I saw someone</p><p>Hasan: No  we won't tell the police. </p><p>nadya: Do you promise. Your word.</p><p>Hasan: We won't tell the police.</p><p>Hasan: His ponytail how long?</p><p>She spreads her index finger and her thumb.</p><p>Nadya: This long.</p><p>Hasan: About 4 inches.  Can you think of anything else?</p><p>Nadya: Don't tell anyone. If you bring a picture I will come to the mosque. I will look. For Amal. She would do this for me. She was so kind to everyone. </p><p>Nadya tears up, sniffs.</p><p>Hasan: She was very kind.  Thank you Nadya. I know this wasn't easy.  Jay and Sammy will walk you back into the mosque. <br/>
<br/>
Nadya: I have a driver. He is waiting. I want to go.</p><p>Hasan: Jay and Sammy will walk you to your car then.  </p><p>Nadya: Thank you.</p><p>They leave.</p><p>Hasan goes across the street, stands where Sammy was standing, where Nadya said the man in the yellow sandals was standing.  He takes out his phone. He photographs the street, the side of the mosque where Amal had been standing.  He stands very still for a few minutes,  then walks back to the mosque. Sammy and Jay are coming out of the mosque. </p><p>Hasan: let's go. I want to call Awan. See if we can visit the place where they had the hookah party, talk to the host. </p><p>They leave. </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. bridges of madison county</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Alice is sitting in the cafe. She is looking at her phone.  Dino comes up. </em>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>DINO</p><p>Where is he?<br/><br/></p><p>ALICE</p><p>He’ll be down soon. Was on the phone </p><p>with Hasan when I left. <br/><br/></p><p>DINO</p><p>Join you? </p><p>ALICE</p><p>Of course.  When is Mac coming?</p><p>
  <em>Dino sits down at the table. Alice puts her phone down. Smiles at him.  There is a pitcher of orange juice on the table.  She points to the pitcher, he nods. She pours orange juice for him.</em>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>DINO</p><p>Fight lands at 8:00 tonight.  Why is it as soon as I land in India</p><p>I want a hamburger?</p><p>ALICE</p><p>Because you are  a contrarian. <br/><br/></p><p>DINO</p><p>Guess that’s it. Feel like going into Pakistan to get a burger. <br/>but then couldn’t get a beer. </p><p>ALICE</p><p>If I bought you a DVD would  you promise to watch it?<br/><br/></p><p>DINO</p><p>What some fucking Disney thing like Cinderella?<br/><br/></p><p>ALICE</p><p>Bridges of Madison County.</p><p>DINO</p><p>Not much interested in Bridges, Alice.</p><p>What is it some National Geographic thing?<br/><br/></p><p>ALICE</p><p>It's a love story. Clint Eastwood directed it. Based on a book.</p><p>DINO:Don't think I‘d like it.</p><p>ALICE: For me. I want you to watch it for me.</p><p>
  <em>A woman walks up behind Dino puts her finger to her lips indicating quiet.  She puts her arms around Dino, kisses him on the neck. He startles, stand up whirls around. Puts a hand at her throat. His chair topples over. A waiter rushes over. Dino realizes it’s Mac drops his hand.</em>
</p><p>MAC: Not a good idea to sneak up on you.</p><p>DINO: It’s fine if you don’t mind overturned furniture.</p><p>
  <em>Dino puts his arms around Mac, kisses her. The waiter starts to pick up the overturned chair. Dino takes the chair from him. Sets it up right.Thanks the waiter, pulls out a chair for Mac. Mac mouths sorry to the waiter and the other diners. She sits.</em>
</p><p>MAC: Quite an entrance. Sorry.</p><p>DINO:Thought you weren’t coming until tonight. <br/><br/>MAC :Cancelation on an earlier flight, so took it.</p><p>DINO:Glad you are here. Alice just tried to get me to commit to watching a movie on bridges</p><p>ALICE (laughing) Not on bridges. It’s a love story. Bridges of Madison County. Think it will help Dino understand me and Terry.</p><p>DINO I fucking understand you and Terry. I’ve always understood. I knew from the beginning what was happening to him. </p><p>ALICE: What?</p><p>DINO: He was falling in love with you. You were everything that was missing in his life. It was practically love at first sight.  I tried to tell him it wasn't going to work. You wouldn't leave Peter for him.  Told him it was hopeless. </p><p>ALICE: you were wrong. It wasn't hopeless. It just took a long time. </p><p>MAC: I’ve seen it. I was 20, maybe 19. I read the book when I was 17 I think. I loved the book.  I liked the movie. We'll watch it. I'd like Dino to see it. </p><p>
  <em>Mac gets out her phone. Types. </em>
</p><p>MAC: We can watch it on the Internet. Amazon has it. </p><p>DINO(frowning): I’d rather see bridges. Real bridges. Clint Eastwood? A love story. Nah. </p><p>MAC: Where’s Terry?</p><p><br/>ALICE He was talking to Hasan when I left. Hasan. The reason we are all here.</p><p>DINO: The reason we are here. The reason a Terry and I are here. I don’t know why you two are here. You shouldn’t be here. We are working.</p><p>ALICE: I’m here because a Terry asked me here. And Mac is here because she inexplicably loves you.</p><p>MAC:I do love him. And he finally asked me to marry him and I am going to do that. <br/><br/></p><p>DINO: I fuckin asked you 100s of times. You  made me get down on one knee. Harder to get you to say yes than getting into DELTA.</p><p>MAC: As it should be.</p><p>
  <em>Mac takes Dinos hand. Turns it palm up. Signs “I love you” on his palm. Dino shakes his head. Smiles at her. Takes her hand in his, turns it palm up bring her hand to his lips, kisses her palm.</em>
</p><p>DINO: Don’t sneak up me.</p><p>MAC: I’ve been sneaking up on you since the day we met.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Visit to the Host of the Hookah Party</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They pick up Awan at his home for the ride to Kahlid's.<br/>
Hasan introduces Awan to Sammy and Jay.<br/>
Awan: Who are you guys really? What do you do?<br/>
jay: We are in security. We work for a London company Global Risk Management and Protection.<br/>
Awan: Were you soldiers?<br/>
Jay: I was. Special Air Service. Sammy too. So was the man we work for Terry Thorne. His partner Dino Dean is American, he was a Ranger.<br/>
Awan: What about you?<br/>
Hasan: I was in what the Americans call the clandestine services.<br/>
Awan: You were a spy.<br/>
Hasan: Never thought of it that way. Just a guy doing a job that needed to be done to keep England safe.<br/>
Awan: But you are Pakistani, you said you were Pakistani.<br/>
Hasan:I'm dual. I moved to England when I was 15.<br/>
Awan: Why are you involved in all this. I mean you are really involved. Three of you and it sounds like maybe more. I mean I appreciate it.<br/>
Jay: May I? he is helping us. No harm letting him know.<br/>
Hasan: Sure go ahead tell him the whole thing.<br/>
Jay: It's a long story. Might have to split it into two parts. You want it from now backward or from the beginning.<br/>
awan: the beginning I guess.<br/>
Jay: I'm married to Hasan's sister. We were considering moving to San Francisco. this was two years ago.<br/>
Awan: Where from?<br/>
Jay: London. So we had been in San Francisco, looking around, getting a feel for it. And my wife was 5 months pregnant. I got called back to London, some problem with a BBC news crew in Turkey and my wife, her name is Samira, decided to stay in San Francisco til I was finished then come back to London. She was on a plane ready to fly back and the plane was hijacked. She managed to call me from the plane.<br/>
Awan: I remember that. A plane, held on the tarmac, hijackers were from here and two were Syrians and they flew to Cuba. They all got away.<br/>
Jay: They wanted hostages on the plane but they let the women and children off and most of the men. They wanted 25 passengers. Some of the men on the plane volunteered. A couple of British Airways guys. Hassan volunteered and so did another guy who works with us. I would have but I wanted to be sure my wife was okay. One of the hijackers was a woman and she had been very kind to Hasan's sister, my wife, worried about her, assured her nothing would happen to her. Was really very protective of her. Once Hasan was on board the plane he thanked her for the care she had given his sister. They got to talking on the way to Cuba, kept talking after in phone calls back and forth and Hasan came to visit her here. Has been visiting her every month or so since the hijacking.<br/>
Awan: That was Amal?  She was one of the hijackers.<br/>
Hasan nods: That was Amal.<br/>
Jay: Hasan falls in love with her. Plans to ask her to marry, begins working with the FBI to make a deal so he can bring her back to the states. FBI will consider it if the Brits approve and she will testify against the others. She gets amnesty she can come back to the USA.  They can be married.<br/>
Awan: She was your fiance.<br/>
Hasan: Hadn't asked her formally. But was going to. Her parents knew I was serious. I was on a job in Beirut when I learned about the acid and her death. She was buried before I could get here.<br/>
Awan: You loved her.<br/>
Hasan: I loved her.<br/>
Awan: Who killed her. Who arranged the acid?<br/>
Hasan: Maybe the men who were involved in the hijacking<br/>
Awan: An old boyfriend?<br/>
Hasan: There is an old boyfriend. But her parents don't think so. He wasn't happy she began seeing me, but he is not the sort to take that kind of action against her. Her parents are convinced he would never ever hurt her.<br/>
Awan: Quite a story. Sad story. A hijacker?<br/>
Hasan: She was only trying to keep her brother from getting hurt.<br/>
Awan: Her brother then, he was one of the hijackers. Are there pictures of the hijackers?<br/>
Hasan: Some school pictures, nothing good from the airport. <br/>
Awan: They were dressed as women weren't they?<br/>
Hasan: They were. It was part of the plan. They were all in burkas. The planners wanted 6, 4 guys and two girls. They couldn't get any other girls and Amal went only because her brother wanted to do it. Three boys, her brother and two Syrians. <br/>
Awan: Pull in here. That is Khalid's house. He knows we are coming. His parents are away. They are in England. He is alone in the house. He will do what he can. He has known my brother since he was five.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. the sights to see</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Terry walks up to the table. Pulls out a chair. Alice offers Mac orange juice, then Terry. Both nod. Alice pours for them.</em>
</p><p>TERRY: So ladies what is your pleasure? We are here in Delhi. What would you like to see?</p><p>ALICE I want to go back to the Taj Mahal   I’d like to go down to Goa. I want to see the basic things.</p><p>MAC I want to take Dino to Madhya Pradesh. </p><p>Alice: what is there.</p><p>Mac: A temple. I think Dino will enjoy it. </p><p>Terry is laughing. Mac is laughing too. </p><p>Alice: What?</p><p>Dino: It's  one of the sex temples isn't it?  I like regular temples. You don't have to entice me with sex.</p><p>Mac: No? I just want you to enjoy some time while we are here.  it's a world heritage site. </p><p>Dino: Probably nothing you can't see for free on Pornhub. </p><p>Alice: Get in the spirit of things Dino.  Mac, what is it you see in him. He grumbles, he is negative, he carps, he criticizes.</p><p>Mac: He dances like Fred Estaire, he has great taste in music, I feel perfectly safe with him wherever I am and I think he is very handsome. And he is the most gentle and attentive lover.</p><p>Dino: Stop it. I'll do whatever you want. </p><p>Mac: You will. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. The Hookah Party Host</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Early afternoon. Khalid greets them at the door.  Offers them beer. Cider.<br/>
Jay declines the beer. Accepts the cider.  Sammy, Hasan and Awan accept beer.<br/>
Khalid takes them into an interior courtyard. A table, four chairs, a fountain.<br/>
Khalid points to the table and chairs. "Please have seat here." Khalid leaves gets the drinks.<br/>
Khalid: Awan you want to know about my guests. People bring other people. I don't always know them. I have many parties. Often. I don't remember when you were last here.<br/>
Hasan: I'd like to just ask you questions if that would be all right.<br/>
Khalid. It will help you find who killed Zayyir?<br/>
Hasan: Yes, it will.<br/>
Khalid: He was 5 years old when I knew him first. Sweet boy. Not smart like this one.<br/>
He points to Awan.<br/>
Khalid, "But sweet. He wanted to always go with us. It was stupid to kill him. I would kill whoever did it myself if I knew. Will you kill them?"<br/>
Hasan: Let's begin with the answers to my questions. My friends may also have questions.<br/>
Khalid:  I have a lot of parties. My memory is not good. I smoke a lot - hashish you know. Very good. Maybe later you would like to smoke with me.<br/>
Hasan: This party was in May. There were many men here. Awan brought his brother.<br/>
Khalid: I remember Zayyir being here. He stood outside in front with someone. I told them to come in. It is better to stay inside<br/>
Hasan: Can you remember who he was outside with.<br/>
Khalid: I don't remember.<br/>
Hasan: Do you know a man who is a fashion model.<br/>
Khalid laughs.<br/>
Khalid: I know a man who likes his picture taken. He says he is a model. Mubarak. He wants to be a model. He wants to be an actor. He has an agent. He has only jobs modeling for his feet. He wants his face on the camera. But so far only his feet. He has good feet for the camera.<br/>
Khalid is laughing.<br/>
Hasan: Tell me about him. Tell me his full name.<br/>
Khalid: Muhammad Mubarak Ali. He lives in Karachi with his mother. She is a nurse at the a hospital. I buy hashish from him. He has good stuff.<br/>
Hasan: How do you know him.<br/>
Khaldi: He sold hashish to a friend of mine. Iffi. Good stuff. I went up to visit Awan at university. I had his name and number from my friend. I called Mubarak. I went to see him. To try the stuff. Began buying from him. Always good quality. He comes down here. Once a month to make deliveries. He stays with the friend who told me about him.<br/>
Hasan: You have Mubarak's phone number. Do you have his address.<br/>
Khalid: No address. I have his phone.  Two numbers, maybe three. He is always changing numbers. Once I couldn't reach him but the friend still had his numbers. He told me if I can't reach him call the friend.<br/>
Hasan: His name? The friend.<br/>
Khalid: Iffi Zofar.<br/>
Awan: Is he a killer. Would he kill my brother?<br/>
Khalid: No. He just sells hashish. Some tobacco. Pills, some pills. Pharmaceutical. Maybe his mother takes pills from the hospital. I have only bought hashish.<br/>
Hasan: Iffi Zofar? Do you know where he lives.<br/>
Khalid: I know where he lives. Do you need his address.<br/>
Hasan: Yes please. We would like his address and phone and the numbers you have for Mubarak.<br/>
Khalid takes out his phone.<br/>
Khalid I'll send them.<br/>
Hasan: Jay please.<br/>
Jay takes out a phone. He gives Khalid his number. Khalid sends the information to Jay's phone.<br/>
Hasan: Do you remember any Syrians at your party?  Maybe someone who came with Iffi or with Mubarack.<br/>
Khalid: No. No. There was a Jordanian. Or maybe he was Pakistani but had been in Jordan. He came with Iffi. Mubarak, Iffi, two other men. One from Jordan. I don't know.  Wait. They were talking to your brother, Awan. Outside. I don't know their names. One maybe he was Syrian. He asked your brother about the motorbike. He said he raced motorbikes. That is what they were talking about when I asked them to come inside.<br/>
Hasna: They came with Iffi and the model Mubarak.<br/>
Khaide: Foot model.<br/>
hasan: Do you have any pictures of any of the men?<br/>
Khalid: Mubarak takes selfies. And he photobombs any picture he can.  Maybe he is in a picture.<br/>
Awan: You took pictures of your new pipe. I remember that night. It was the first time you used it.<br/>
Khalid. It is a beautiful pipe. Very smooth. I took pictures of it.  There are  men in the background.<br/>
Khalid gets out his phone.  Goes through the photos.<br/>
Khalid: Here, here is Iffi. He is standing by the pipe. Not a good picture of him.<br/>
Sammy: But a very good picture of your pipe. Nice pipe.<br/>
Khalid: I can show you. You could try it. It is the best pipe I have ever had. We could all smoke.<br/>
Sammy: Thank you. Another time.<br/>
Awan takes the phone. Looks at the pictures.<br/>
Awan: This man here, he was talking to my brother.<br/>
Awan: I know Iffi. I remember the model. He was with two men who talked to my brother. They stayed near my brother. There was another man too.  My brother was younger.  I was glad they talked to him.<br/>
Khalid: Yes. Iffi came with three men. A Jordanian, he had just come back from Jordan. He was in college there maybe.<br/>
Hasan: May I see?<br/>
Awan hands the phone to Hasan.<br/>
Hasan looks though the pictures. He stops.<br/>
Hasan: Is this man the man from Jordan?<br/>
Hasan has a picture of the pipe but behind it almost out of the frame is a man.<br/>
Khalid: Yes that is the Jordanian.<br/>
Hasan: No. That is Amal's brother.<br/>
Hasan hands the phone to Jay.<br/>
Hasan says again, "That is Amal's bother."<br/>
Jay goes through the pictures quickly.  Stops, goes back. There is a picture of the lower part of the pipe. And feet around it. There one picture in which there is one foot with a yellow sandal. Jay stops.<br/>
Jay: Someone was wearing yellow sandals that night.<br/>
Jay hands the phone to Hasan.<br/>
Hasan looks.<br/>
Hasan: Did someone have on yellow sandals at the party that night.<br/>
Khalid laughs. "Mubarack. Yellow, purple, red. He gets them free. For modeling them. His foot modeling.  He gives them away. I don't know. Maybe. If someone was wearing yellow sandals it was him. Or someone he gave them to.<br/>
Hasan: I would like to send some of these pictures to Jay's phone. May I do that?<br/>
Khalid: Yeah, sure.<br/>
Hasan hands the phone to Jay. "The sandals. Amal's brother. Anyone standing near him. Take most of them."<br/>
Hasan: I will need to talk with Iffi. Will he cooperate with us.<br/>
Khalid: I will call him now. I will tell him about Zayyir and that you are friends.<br/>
Khalid calls. Makes arrangements for Iffi to meet with Jay Hasan Sammy and Awan.</p><p>***</p><p>Iffi lives in an apartment with two other men.<br/>
Iffi: it is better to talk at the cafe. Not here.<br/>
He leads jay hasan and Sammy to a cafe a few blocks away.<br/>
They find a table. Order coffees, teas.<br/>
Hasan: Thank you for meeting with us.  We would like to show you some pictures from one of Khalid's parties.<br/>
Iffi: Okay.<br/>
Jay hands him the phone. Hasan stands, looks over Iffi's shoulder.<br/>
Hasan: That man there at the edge of the picture. Do you know him?<br/>
Iffi: He is a friend of Mubarak. His name is Asad.  I don't know his last name.  He was with Mubarak. Also another man. A Syrian.  Asad and the Syrian knew each other in America. San Francisco. The Syrian I don't remember his name.  No wait it was a name from a story. Aladin. Who names a child Aladdin?  His name was Aladdin. Asad lives here. In Faisalabad. The Syrian is visiting. Maybe he brings hashish. the Syrian.  Mubarak was with them. I invited them to Khalid's. They talked to a boy there. He was the brother of someone. A friend of Khalid's.  I did not see them again.<br/>
Hasan: In this picture is a foot with a yellow sandal. Do you know who was wearing yellow sandals.<br/>
Iffi laughs. Maybe Mubarack. He gets free sandals. For his modeling. He wants to be an actor. Only his feet are acting right now."<br/>
Iffi laughs," But he gives the sandals away. Maybe he gave yellow sandals to the Syrian. Maybe he wore them. Maybe Mubarak.  I don't remember. It wasn't me. He did not give me yellow sandals.<br/>
Hasan: Can you give me Mubarak's address and phone number.<br/>
Iffi hesitates, "You won't hurt him?"<br/>
Hasan smiles, "Of course not. We only want to talk to him."<br/>
Iffi sends the address and phone to Jay's phone.<br/>
Hasan looks at Jay Sammy and Awan.<br/>
Hasan says, " Any other questions."<br/>
Sammy, Awan, and Jay shake their heads.<br/>
They leave Iffi at the cafe.  Drive Awan back to his house. The sit in the car talking.<br/>
Hasan: We are going to do some thinking now.<br/>
Awan: The girl's brother, he was at the party. You will talk to him now.<br/>
Hasan: We will talk to him now. I know him.<br/>
Awan: But you will tell me. You will tell me what you learn. For my brother.<br/>
Hasan: I will tell you.<br/>
Awan: Would the brother hurt her? Would the Syrian?<br/>
Hasan: The brother and the Syrian were involved with men who planned the hijacking. There was a fifth man on the plane. He threatened to blow up the plane. The authorities don't know who he is. And if he learned about Amal making a deal with the FBI he might have been afraid.<br/>
Awan: Why would he throw acid in her face. Why not just kill her?<br/>
Hasan: I don't know.  Maybe her brother knows.<br/>
Awan: You will tell me. My mother cannot stop crying. She says over and over, " my son my son." Since the burial she doesn’t eat. She just sits an cries and says his name.  I will be here. I am not going back to school til fall. I will stay here with my parents. I will help you if I can. But you will tell me.<br/>
Hasan: I will tell you what I learn.<br/>
Awan gets out of the car.  Hasan drives away.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Amal's Brother at the Mosque</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jay and Sammy and Hasan drive back to the Residency inn in Lahore. Jay and Sammy share a room. Hasan has his own.</p><p>Hasan: I'm going to call Terry. And then we have to go to see Amal's brother.</p><p>Jay: Do you think he is involved.</p><p>Hasan: It's possible.</p><p>Hasan goes to his room, calls Terry. Updates him. Terry asks if Hasan needs anything. He doesn't. Terry tells Hasan that McKenzie sent the phone to someone in Silicon Valley.  Should have it unlocked in a day or two. Hasan goes down to the pool and swims laps. After awhile Sammy and jay come down. Take a table at the pool’s edge. Hasan finally comes out. Dries off, puts on a t-shirt, takes a seat at the table.</p><p>Jay: Now what?</p><p>Hasan: The brother.</p><p>Jay: Could he have done this? The acid?</p><p>Hasan: Maybe.</p><p>Sammy: Why?</p><p>Hasan: Involved in something with the hijackers. Maybe was used unwittingly.</p><p>Jay: Does the brother have anything against you? Would he hurt her for being with you.</p><p>Hasan: It never occurred to me. Perhaps it should have. I took for granted he would see me as good for her.</p><p>Jay: What if he is responsible?</p><p>Hasan shakes his head. Recites softly</p><p>
  <em>Well, if you told me you were drowning </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I would not lend a hand </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I've seen your face before my friend </em>
</p><p>
  <em>But I don't know if you know who I am </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Well, I was there and I saw what you did </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I saw it with my own two eyes </em>
</p><p>
  <em>So you can wipe off that grin, </em>
</p><p>
  <em>I know where you've been</em>
</p><p>
  <em> It's all been a pack of lies</em>
</p><p>Jay: Shelly? Keats? Tennyson? </p><p>Hasan laughs: Phil Collins </p><p>Sammy: Phil Collins? </p><p>Hasan takes out his phone. Goes to youtube. Plays <em>In the Air Tonight.</em></p><p>They sit listening together to the song.</p><p>Sammy takes out his phone. Gets the lyrics up. Reads from his phone</p><p>
  <em>Well I remember, I remember don't worry</em><br/>
<em>How could I ever forget,</em><br/>
<em>It's the first time, the last time we ever met</em><br/>
<em>But I know the reason why you keep your silence up,</em><br/>
<em>No you don't fool me</em><br/>
<em>The hurt doesn't show</em><br/>
<em>But the pain still grows</em><br/>
<em>It's no stranger to you and me</em>
</p><p>Hasan: Going to go see the iman tomorrow. </p><p>Jay: There is the also the dead boy, the motorbike boy, the brother, Zayyir. </p><p>Hasan: Hope we are wrong.  Jay, bring a kit, though.</p><p>*****</p><p>Hasan Jay and Sammy park at the mosque. Walk onto the grounds.  They find the iman sitting in the garden, under the arbor.</p><p>Imam: You know?</p><p>Hasan: No. I'm closer. Do you want to tell me? Is he here? </p><p>Iman: He's here. He's always here. </p><p>Hasan: Will he tell me?  </p><p>Iman: I don't know. He needs to tell someone. Whatever it is it is making him ill. Come with me. </p><p>The three follow the imam.</p><p>He goes back into the classroom.  Amal's brother is there. Sitting in chair, his head down on his hands on the table. His hair is matted. His clothes disheveled. </p><p>Hasan pulls up a chair, sits down across the table from him. Jay and Sammy take chairs toward the back of the room, away from Hasan and Assyd.  The imam stands by the door. </p><p>Assad lifts his head, looks at Hasan.  He is crying.  He shakes his head. Puts his head back down. </p><p>Hasan: You have to tell me now. This has gone on long enough. </p><p>Asad: I can't. No. </p><p>Hasan: I have seen the pictures. </p><p>Asad: You haven't. There is no way you could see them. They are horrible. I didn't know it would be like that. </p><p>Hasan: It was acid. It dissolves skin, Assad. Her skin the skin on her face was dissolved. While she was alive. She felt it being dissolved. She was screaming. In pain. The worst pain she ever felt. </p><p>Assad covers his mouth. Dry heaves. Gets out of the chair. Lies down on the floor on his stomach.</p><p>Assad: STOP. GO AWAY. Leave me alone. Shut up. You don't know. You caused it. </p><p>Hasan: Get up. Sit in the chair.</p><p>Assad sits up on the floor. </p><p>Hasan: Sammy, Jay, would you help Assad please get back in his chair. </p><p>Jay and Sammy get up, walk around the table. Lift Asad back in the chair.  Jay and Sammy stand on each side of Assad. </p><p>Hassan: Perhaps you would stay near Assad in case he falls again. </p><p>Jay and Sammy stand at parade rest a few feet behind Assad.</p><p>Assad: Go away, Hasan. Leave me here. I have nothing to say to you.  She's dead. You killed her.</p><p>Hasan: How did I kill her?</p><p>Assad: She was going to leave.  You were taking her.  My parents were going to let her go.  With you. Let her leave them.  You ruined it. Everything.</p><p>Hasan: How did you get the acid?</p><p>Assad: The Syrians got it. I told them she was going to leave. That you were getting her amnesty. That she would testify against them. I told my parents no. They said it was good. That she could make up for the hijacking. Start her life again. They blamed me.  I told them they could not permit her to leave.  If she left they would be alone.  She couldn't leave. She is not meant for America.</p><p>Hasan: Why didn't you kill her?</p><p>Assad screams, "It was only to keep her here.  She wasn't supposed to die. You made her die. She should have stayed with my parents. She thought you wouldn't love her because of her face. So she jumped off the building.  I wanted to keep her here. I could go back to Jordan.  She would stay with my parents. You gave her dreams. Westen dreams. You ruined her. They said it would burn.  Sting.  Change her face a little. It wouldn't hurt her. She couldn't go with you.  It was only to stop her. Her face you would see her face you wouldn't want her. She would not be beautiful any more. Only to make her stay here.  So she would know she had to stay.  You ruined our lives.  You got on the plane. We were all right. We would have gone to Cuba. She would come home. She was innocent.</p><p>Hasan: You blame me.</p><p>Assad: You did it. It wasn't me. I only wanted her to stay. Only to stay where she belonged.  </p><p>Assad is sobbing.</p><p>Assad: You killed her not me. </p><p>The iman walks over to Asad. Sits next to him. Starts to put an am around him. </p><p>Assad: Don't touch me.</p><p>Assad: You should have stopped us. Iman, you knew I was going to do something.  I told you I had to make her stay here. </p><p>Assad begins retching again.</p><p>Asad: I killed her. I will never be all right. I killed my own sister. My innocent sister. My sister who only wanted to take care of me. </p><p>He falls out of the chair again. He is lying on his stomach, beating his head with his hands. Jay and Sammy start toward him. Hasan shakes his head. </p><p>The iman kneels down next to him. </p><p>Imam: You will find a way. You will find a way to make up for this. </p><p>Asad:There is no way. </p><p>Hasan: Tell me Asad. Tell me all of it. </p><p>The imam helps Asad up again.  He is limp. His clothes are damp. His hair is sticking to his forehead. </p><p>Asad: She told my parents she was going to marry you. That you were going to bring her to the states. That the FBI would give her immunity.  She was going to leave. My parents were happy. They liked you. You are everything I am not. They told her it was okay to testify against the Syrians. I told the Syrians. I asked them to help me keep her here. They said acid on her face. It would sting. Change her face. You wouldn't want her. I told them she shouldn't go to the states that she was going to testify against them. They knew the 5th man. He got them the acid. They said we can destroy her beauty then you wouldn't want her. She will stay here. She will not testify. My parents they didn't care how she looked. </p><p>Hasan: I didn't care how she looked.  My love was not for her beauty. But for her sweetness.</p><p>Asad is angry again. "You destroyed us. Me, her, my parents. All of us. Why did you get on the plane?" </p><p>Hasan: Because my sister was on the plane. I got on for my sister, so my sister could get off the plane, because I love my sister. Like you,  I love my sister." </p><p>Asad: I can't bring her back.  I can't sleep. I can't eat. My mother knows I think she knows. </p><p>Assad: What are you going to do. Are you going to kill me. You kill people, don't you. </p><p>Hasan: Sometimes.  </p><p>Assad: I wish you would kill me. Kill me yes kill me but don't tell my father. Please.</p><p>Hasan takes out his phone. Punches in a number.  </p><p>Hasan: Sammy, Jay I am going to go outside to make a couple of calls. I need Assad to remain in the chair for now. Jay nods. Sammy moves closer to Asad. Imam, we are not going to hurt him. But he needs help. We are going to help him. Do not be concerned. What we are doing we are doing your his own good.</p><p>Hasan walks out. Calls his pilot friend. Where are you? No I need another ride, Need to go to the mountains. Skardu. I want to pay. Okay. Lahore pick up. A couple of hours. 4 of us. Call me with a gate. okay. </p><p>Then Hasan calls Awan. "The brother is responsible for Amal. Maybe your brother. We need a place to take him. We are at the mosque. We can't question him here. Can we take him to your family house in the mountains.  In Skardu. We need to question him in a place that will be private. No my pilot friend is still here. He'll fly us. From Lahore. I want you to come. I will sedate him. He will not be a problem. We will pick you up in a little while. Yes okay thank you. 2 or three days I imagine.<br/>
<br/>
Hassan calls Assad's father. Assad is with me. I am taking him up to the mountains for a few days. I am concerned about him. I will call you from there. He is so distraught about Amal. Yes sure. I think it will help him too. The mountains are very peaceful. No don't worry. </p><p>Hasan walks back in. Walks over to Assad. Assad pulls back.</p><p>Hassan says, “It’s all right.”</p><p>Before Assad can do anything, Hassan takes Assad’s face in his hands, puts his thumb on Assad's carotid.  Assad collapses in unconsciousness.</p><p>Hasan to the imam: He is not well, you can see that. We are going to take care of him.</p><p>Imam to Hassan: You won't kill him.</p><p>Hasan: No. I won't kill him. I want to talk to him.  I can't do that here in the mosque. I am trained as a medic. I can take good care of him, he will be alright . </p><p>Hasan: Imam we need to find out what happened.</p><p>Iman: You will not kill him.</p><p>Hasan: No I told you I won't kill him. You have my word. </p><p>Hasan walks over to Assad. Asad is waking. Jay and Sammy are standing next to him.</p><p>Hassan: You have to come with us now. </p><p>Assad says: No. </p><p>Jay and Sammy get on each side of him. Hold him in a tight grip between them. Walk him between them to the car. Sammy opens the door Jay goes around. Samy pushes him in to the car. They settle him in between them.</p><p>Hasan walks out to the car. Opens the back. Unzips a duffle. Gets out a syringe and a bottle of clear liquid. he fills the syringe. Walks to the rear passenger door. Sammy gets out, Hasan gets in, injects Assad in the arm through his shirt.  Assad goes unconscious. His head falls sideways on Jay's shoulder.   Jay pushes his head back.  Asad leans back against the headrest.  Hasan closes the back hatch. Gets in the driver's seat and drives to Awan's house.</p><p>Awan is waiting outside with a bag. He gets in the front passenger seat. </p><p>Awan: I told my parents I need some time away. That I needed the calm of the mountain house. That I needed to forget the burial.  That I had friends with a plane who would fly me up.  My father called a neighbor from there. The neighbor will leave a car for us at the airport.  My parents have each other. It is okay to leave them. My older brother will come in a few days.  They are fine. </p><p>Hasan: We are driving to Lahore. We are getting some things we need, then to the airport.  In Lahore.</p><p>Awan looks over the seat at Assad.</p><p>Awan: Is this kidnapping?</p><p>Sammy: Not really I’m sure  he wants to go with us.  </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. The Mountain House</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The plane lands. Awan looks at his phone.<br/>Awan: My dad's friends left us a blue Honda. I will find it. Bring it to the gate. Will he wake up?<br/>Jay: He will wake up but not for another few hours. We will support him between us. Samy and me.<br/>Awan: Okay<br/>Jay: We will say he is ill if we are stopped.</p><p>It is crowded in the blue Honda. Jay and Sammy and Assad in the back seat. Assad's head keeps falling onto Jays shoulder. Jay keeps pushing it back.</p><p>The house is surrounded by a wall behind green gates.  Set off by itself.</p><p>Jay: Nice place.</p><p>Awan: Belonged to my grandfather. He invested in real estate. Loved summers here. Stayed through only one winter.  My parents got it when he died. kept it.</p><p>Hasan: Perfect for what we need.</p><p>They settle in. There are five bedrooms. The each take a room. Put Assad in a room.</p><p>Awan says, “I will go get some groceries. I shop with my mother here. I know the stores. “</p><p>Jay: I'll go. I like to cook. I'll cook for us. </p><p>Awan: There are restaurants. We can do take out. </p><p>Jay: Both then.</p><p>Hasan gets out the money. “Enough for five people, three days.“</p><p>Awan leaves. <br/><br/>Sammy: You want him bound, or you want to do sitters.<br/>Sammy: Or both<br/>Hasan: Bound. Hands behind him. Ankles.<br/>Sammy: Mouth?<br/>Hasan: Tape. Check him every hour. Make a log sheet. Put it outside the door.<br/>Sammy: A log sheet? <br/>Hasan shrugs, “I might be tempted to just forget about him.”</p><p>Hasan calls Terry. “Terry we are in Skardu. We have a house. We have Amal's brother. He is part of it. He instigated it.”<br/>Hasan listens quietly.<br/>Hasan: I want you to come. It’s better. Her brother. I don’t know myself.<br/>Hasan: Yes okay. We have a car . We can pick you up. Yes Dino too, okay.</p><p>Hasan goes into the living room. ”I’m going for a run.  He’ll wake up soon. Just watch him. Bathroom okay.”</p><p>Sammy nods.</p><p>Hasan is gone for over an hour.</p><p>As he is coming back, Awan drive in with groceries. Jay and Awan unload the groceries, put things away. Sammy and Hassan come in the kitchen.<br/>Awan:I feel like I am in a James bond movie.<br/>Sammy: Yeah, he's  James Bond.<br/><br/>Jay starts chopping vegetables. Begins cooking. </p><p>Jay: I'm making a curry. Paya.  </p><p>Sammy: Goat curry?</p><p>Jay: Yeah. Hand me the garlic. Over there. And the cinnamon. </p><p>Awan: My brother's burial was only two days ago. When I am with you I don't think about it, the burial as much. The way my mother looked. And when I do, I think you will avenge him. I think I am a civilized man. But my brother's death. Something primitive. A rage. A lust for for revenge.</p><p>Hasan: Your brother would be alive if I had acted more quickly. I was slow.</p><p>Jay: Get off it man. You weren't dragging your feet. Like you would drag your feet  on anything. Hey Awan, want to know how Hassan and I met.</p><p>Awan:sure</p><p>Jay: It was just before my wedding. No one knew where Hasan was. We thought probably undercover in some terrorist camp in Afghanistan or Yemen. Nobody had heard from him. I went for a run by myself  - was about 9 at night.  Phone was dead so I didn't have it with me.  I stopped, out of breath after sprinting, bent over, a shoe has come untied. I bend over to tie it and I feel a gun in my back and someone says, "You move, you die"<br/>Hasan is laughing. Jay is laughing.<br/>Jay: Then standing behind me, his gun in my back, he says are you going to marry that girl, Samira Meghwar. And I say I am, he asks me if I love her, I say I do but she is kind of a slob around the house. And the guy with the gun in my back says, yeah she sure is. Takes the gun out of my back, walks around in front of me. He’s all dressed in black, watch cap everything. Puts out his hand, says he’s her brother.</p><p>Hasan: I like a dramatic introduction.</p><p>Jay: We sit down on a log by the trail.  I just happen to have a nice smoke, which we share. He tells me his story. I knew he was MI 6, knew he was still in the field. Couldn't come to our wedding. But came to give us his gift. Wanted to see his sister. Give her his blessing.  He'd been watching us for two days. Never saw him. He is 007.<br/>Awan: you live interesting lives.<br/>Hasan"What are you studying Awan?<br/>Awan: Physics.<br/>Awan asks, “What was the gift.?<br/>Hasan: Book of poetry by Rumi. Like poetry.<br/>Awan: so Jay you’re Hassan’s brother in law, and you and Sammy are friends. <br/>Jay: Grew up together. Enlisted in the army together. Both SAS.<br/>Awan. So what are you going to do.<br/>Hasan: asked my boss to come.Terry and Dino are coming.<br/>Awan: They know I'm here.<br/>They know.<br/>What will they do?<br/>Run things from here. Don’t  trust myself. Terry is very cool operator. Dino kind of wild but good, solid underneath.<br/>When will they be here.<br/>Tomorrow.<br/>There is a thumping from upstairs.<br/>Jay I'll go<br/>What do you want to do with him<br/>Hasan: I hate holding captives. Much rather just shoot them. Hate the dependency. Don't think I'd be a good father. Take him to the bathroom. Bring him down.  Sammy you go too. Free his feet. Tape on his mouth stays til he’s ready to eat.  Keep his hands behind him. Let’s see if he intends to cooperate.<br/>Awan: Is this legal? I mean holding him this way.<br/>Hasan: Extra-legal. Quasi-legal. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Questioning Amal's Brother Begins</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><br/>
Sammy and Jay bring Asad downstairs. He is groggy. His hands are secured behind him. Tape still on his mouth.<br/>
Hasan, “We will remove the tape, if you will agree not to scream. No one can hear you where we are, but I don’t want to hear screaming.”<br/>
Asad nods.<br/>
Jay removes the tape.<br/>
“Where am I? Hasan, where am I?”<br/>
“Somewhere safe.”<br/>
Are you going to kill me<br/>
No at least not yet<br/>
I didn’t kill her<br/>
You hurt her though.<br/>
Asad hangs his head.<br/>
Asad looks around<br/>
Who are these people<br/>
Interested parties<br/>
I’m hungry<br/>
We have some bread olives humus. Some stew. Would you like that? We can untie your hands so you can eat. If you cooperate. You know who I am, what I do, what I did. If you don’t cooperate, I can make things very unpleasant.<br/>
“Amal said you were MI 6. I’ll cooperate. But I don’t care if you kill me.“<br/>
Hasan shakes his head, “Not yet. Not for awhile. Maybe I won’t. Amal loved you. She would be unhappy if I killed you. But she is dead. How could she know. But I'd feel guilty. But my friends are here.  They wouldn't feel guilty. <br/>
You all kill people. <br/>
Jay nods. Sometimes.<br/>
Assad starts to cry. “She loved me. But you made her love you. You caused her death.”<br/>
Hasan: “Shhhh. Maybe I did. We will talk soon. For now, have some food. Jay and Samy will go with you.”<br/>
Jay and Sammy take Asad into the kitchen. He sits at a table. Samy stands by him.<br/>
Jay serves him.<br/>
Hasan in the living room with Awan. “I hate captives. Take no prisoners, good rule."<br/>
Awan, “You think he killed my brother."<br/>
Maybe. "Maybe. We'll find out everything soon."<br/>
Jay and Samy bring Asad back in the living room.<br/>
Hasan: please sit down. do you need the bathroom? <br/>
Assan: No.<br/>
Sammy guides Asad to a chair. Jay and Samy sit near him. <br/>
Hasan: I want to understand this. Everything. You worried Amal was leaving. You didn’t want her to go.<br/>
Asad: She is my sister. I should have some say. I didn’t want her to leave my parents. Didn’t want her in The West.<br/>
Hasan: You looked for a way to keep her in Pakistan.<br/>
Asad: I told the imam. I asked him to talk to my father He didn’t help. He knew I was upset. He talked to my father but my father liked you admired you, liked you more. <br/>
Hasan: More than what. <br/>
Asad: MORE THAN ME. MY father was angry about the hijacking but other people admired me. In Pakistan people admired me. Once a man asked for my autograph. <br/>
Hasan laughs. “Perhaps he was CIA.” <br/>
Asad: DON’T LAUGH AT ME. No he wasn’t.  He admired me. I hijacked a plane. I got away with it. But I embarrassed my father and he was angry I involved Amal.<br/>
Hasan: The acid. Tell me about the acid<br/>
Assad: No.<br/>
Hasan:  You will tell me everything I want to know. You can tell me now or you can tell me after you have no fingernails and your genitals are burning from electric shocks. Tell me now or tell me later.<br/>
Assad:You can kill me I don’t care<br/>
Hassan: I can kill you. But I can keep you alive as long as I wish. I’m trained to do that. I know how. I’m trained as a medic. I can make you sleep when I wish. I can wake you when I wish. I can injure you, then I can treat the injury and injure you again.<br/>
Assad is pale. Begins sweating. “What do you want to know?”<br/>
Hasan says, “ Tell me about the acid “<br/>
Assad: I called  the Syrians told them about you and Amal. I asked them to help me keep her in Pakistan. They liked her. Everyone liked her. They said she was beautiful. She was intelligent. They said maybe you would not want her if she wasn’t beautiful. But they didn’t want to hurt her. We all listened to her on the plane. They called The  5th Man. The man you and the FBZI call Tge 5th Man. He called me. He said acid on her face. He said it would change her face. They came here. He told them someone in Karachi would give us acid.  The got it. Brought it here. They came with their friend.  He had the acid. They didn’t want to do it. But I told them she was going to get amnesty if she testified against them. That you got her a deal. <br/>
Hasan: The Fifth Man. The man who wanted to blow up the plane with all of you on it. You told him. <br/>
Assad: I needed help. I told him. He told us if we were worried about anything to call him. I told him. He said it would sting. But not really hurt her. <br/></p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. The House on Belvedere</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Terry and Alice are in the Marharaja Suite at the Imperial Hotel. Alice is asleep. Terry is sitting in a chair across from the bed reading. It is just past dawn. Terry closes the book and turns off the lamp on the table by him. Alice opens her eyes. Feels across the bed for Terry. Lifts her head up. Sees Terry across the room.<br/>
Alice: What? Were you watching me sleep?<br/>
Terry: I was reading. Then I was watching you sleep.<br/>
Alice: Why?<br/>
Terry: Told you before. I like to watch you sleep. Gives me a peaceful feeling.<br/>
Alice rolls over onto her stomach. Reaches down gets her nightgown off the floor. Gathers it up. Pulls it over her head. Sits up, leans against the headboard.<br/>
Terry: Why do you wear a nightgown to bed. I just take them off.<br/>
Alice: Don't you say "why" questions are complaints. Do you mind so much?<br/>
Terry laughs: I don't mind so much. They are pretty. And it gives me a sense of achievement, taking them off. I have to talk to you Alice. I need to go to Pakistan for a few days.<br/>
Alice: Hasan.<br/>
Terry: Hasan.<br/>
Alice What do I do if you don't come back. Call Dino?<br/>
Terry: Dino is going. I'll came back. We are taking the plane. I can have Gemma get you a flight. You can go home.<br/>
Alice: Where is home?<br/>
Terry: Where do you want home to be? For now you could go back to Sunnyvale.<br/>
Alice: I thought we would have time here together.<br/>
Terry: You know what I do.<br/>
Alice: Terry I thought you were semi-retired. It hasn't been a year for us together. There has been North Korea, Guatemala, then Beirut. And now we are here for some Pakistan thing.<br/>
Terry: North Korea was yours. And you wanted us to help Hasan. <br/>
Alice: Okay North Korea was mine. How do I do this?<br/>
Terry: Bird by bird Alice. Bird by bird.<br/>
Alice: I am so whiny. What is wrong with me. This isn't me. And I have Mac. I'm sorry. I'll call Mac. We'll go sightseeing. I will go see the naughty temples.<br/>
Terry: The naughty temples?<br/>
Alice: The naughty temple.<br/>
Terry: No. I want to go to the naughty temples with you.<br/>
Alice: I can go twice.<br/>
Alice's phone on the nightstand chimes. The ring is the first few notes from Crosby, Stills and Nash's "Our House" She looks at it.<br/>
Alice: Our realtor.<br/>
Terry: You are doing personalized ring tones? Like Dino does?<br/>
Alice: It's nice.<br/>
Terry: Do I have one?<br/>
Alice ignores him.<br/>
Alice picks up her phone.<br/>
Alice:What time is it in California?<br/>
Terry laughing: It's yesterday about 7 pm. Yesterday, Nineteen hundred hours.<br/>
Alice answer, “Hello Mr. Corban.  No you aren't interrupting anything.  No we are not in town. We are in India. Terry is here on business. Yes I have my ipad. Fell out of escrow? Okay. Where is it?  Go fast?  Okay. Yes I can fly back. We'll look at the pictures. I'll call you. It's 12 hours difference. I'll call you soon. No we don't want to lose it if it right for us. The marina. Can see it from the house. Terry would love that. We'll look. I can fly back. No it's fine. How much? No. 27 million? No. That is idiotic. It's just the two of us. Corinthian Island is good. Is there anything else. I'll look. I'll show Terry. I don't care if we can afford it. It is too big and too expensive. No. I'll look. Find me something smaller. And cheaper.<br/>
She hangs up.<br/>
Terry applauds.<br/>
Alice's phone plays " Our House" again.<br/>
"Hello. 5 million? Where? Belvedere Island is good."<br/>
Terry: How much if we offer cash?<br/>
Alice: Terry wants to know how much if we offer cash. I'll put you on speaker.<br/>
Realtor: Maybe 4.75 million. Might go lower. They've moved out already. Inherited a place in Sonoma. Moved in already. Had not been ready to let it go. Thought one of their kids might want it. But no.  It's a bit dated. Owned last 28 years by same family.<br/>
Terry: When was it built?<br/>
Realtor: 1964. Lots of views. The Golden Gate. The whole Bay. Big windows. Decks. Some covered. Secluded. 3 stories on the side of a hill. Parking street level. 3 car garage.  Plus off street parking. Views from most rooms.  It is smaller. Comfortable. Not fancy. Kind of tucked away. A dock. A small beach. I can see you two there.<br/>
Terry: How long has the listing been up?<br/>
Realtor: No I just got it. It's mine. They just called me. They were waiting for one of their kids to decide. Decided no. Friend of a friend. Not even listed yet.<br/>
Terry: Can you see the marina.<br/>
Realtor: Not the marina. Sorry.<br/>
Terry: We'll look at the pictures. I have some business I need to take care of it. It's going to take me several days here and in Pakistan. But if it looks good, Alice can decide. The location is what we want.<br/>
They hang up.<br/>
Alice: You trust me to buy a house for us?<br/>
Terry: I do. Why wouldn't I? Would you trust me to buy a house for us?<br/>
Alice: No.<br/>
Alice is looking at her phone.<br/>
Alice: Terry this is our house. This is a good house. It's the right house.<br/>
Terry laughs. Is it a good number? Is it the right number?<br/>
Alice shows him the house.<br/>
Alice: Look. Terry, look at the views. It is so comfortable looking. And it has solar. And a galley kitchen. I love a galley kitchen and it's got an eat-in area. I like an eat-in area by the kitchen, like Sunnyvale. <br/>
Terry: What is the bedroom like?<br/>
Alice: View of the bay, view of the Golden Gate. Private covered deck. We could sit out there and have coffee in the morning. Watch the sunrise over the East Bay Hills.<br/>
Terry: You've already moved in. <br/>
Alice: Have a feeling about this place.<br/>
Terry: Fireplace?<br/>
Alice: Two. Family room and living room.<br/>
Terry: No fireplace in the bedroom? I always wanted a fireplace in the bedroom.<br/>
Alice: No fireplace in the master bedroom. We could make our bedroom in the living room.<br/>
Terry: We could put one in. We are saving $22,000,000 by not buying that $27,000,000 place.<br/>
Terry: Go see it.<br/>
Alice: I could take Mac.<br/>
Terry: Take Mac. Sure, if she’ll leave Dino. Go see it. Take Nick. He isn't quite ready to leave home. Be sure it has room for his climbing gear.<br/>
Alice: What if we want it. We haven't done bank accounts. I can't pay for a 5 million dollar house out of my checking account. I am not a signatory on your account. <br/>
Terry: We need to do that. Shouldn't have waited so long.<br/>
Alice: What should I do if we want it.  <br/>
Terry: I'll have Gemma take care of it.<br/>
Alice: Really.<br/>
Terry: Come here.<br/>
Alice walks over to him. He pulls her into his lap. Kisses her.<br/>
Terry: I think we found our house. Go see it.<br/>
Terry gets his phone, punches in a number.<br/>
Terry: Gemma, can you get Alice and Mac on a flight to San Francisco some time today? Let me know. Yeah. Maybe found a house.<br/>
He gives her the address. Hangs up.<br/>
Terry: Alice hand me your phone.<br/>
Terry calls the realtor. Asks him to hold the house off the market til Alice sees it. Tells him they have seen the pictures he sent. She’s flying back to see it. The realtor agrees.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Terry and Dino come to Skardu</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Terry and Dino are picked up at the Skardu airport by Samy in the blue Honda.<br/>The plane turns around and leaves.<br/>Sammy: You sent the plane back.<br/>Dino: Yeah. Terry and Alice have been house hunting. They found a house they want. So, Mac and Alice are going to go see it. They were going to fly commercial but couldn't get anything. So Paul is going to fly them back. And then come back to Delhi to wait for us.<br/>Dino: Pretty up here. Never been here before. Wonder what the winters are like.<br/>Terry: They are bad. Most people use it as a summer place.<br/>Dino: Like to bring Mac here. She'd like it.<br/>Terry: Pickle Family Circus.<br/>Terry: How's it going.<br/>Samy: Hasan has been questioning him, <strike>Amal's brother's name is Assad.</strike> He admitted getting the acid. He blames Hasan. Says Hasan killed her. Think that is why Hasan wanted you two here. Maybe thinks he can't trust himself. But Hassan is a cool one. Never loses control. Always polite. Always a quote or a poem. Always deliberate.<br/>Dino: You think the brother killed the kid who delivered the acid.<br/>Samy: Possible. There are hijackers involved. Those two Syrian kids. One at least. Amal's brother says the guy we call The 5th Man got the acid for the Syrians. Still not clear who gave it to the kid on the motorbike. And someone watched. May be a man in yellow sandals. One of Amal's friends saw someone. Someone who maybe was filming it. And the kid on the motorbike told his brother that a Syrian liked his motorbike. Let Hasan lay it out. What we know is the brother was involved. He has admitted it. But he wants to blame Hasan. A kind of you-made-me-do-it. And Hasan knows it's not true but it bothers him. He liked Asad, the brother. Thought the brother liked him.<br/>Terry: What does Hasan need from us?<br/>Sammy: He said he needs you to run it. He doesn't trust himself. Too personal with the brother. <br/>Dino: You have the motorbike kid's brother here. He knows who we are, what we do.<br/>Sammy: He's a good guy. Grady and Hasan liked him. You'll like him. He's smart. A student at Aga Khan University. Physics major or something. Wants to go to UC Berkeley. Or MIT. We all like him. Kind of philosophical.</p><p>Sammy pulls the Honda up to the green gates.</p><p>Dino: Good house. Nice location. Like the wall and the gates. Room for all of us?<br/>Sammy: 5 bedrooms. We have Asad in one room. Jay and I can share. Hasan and Awan are fine sharing. Gives you each a room and we can keep Asad in a room.<br/>Terry: Dino and I used to share, haven't for a while. Fine with us.<br/>Dino: Want my own room. You probably snore now.<br/>Sammy: Hasad has kept Asad sedated a lot of the time. Asad is belligerent at times, other times he says he wants to die. But man Hasan is a little spooky. Jay knows him, likes him a lot. But he is deadly man. You can tell. He recites some poem. And he is calm and polite. The he walks over puts his thumb on Asa's carotid and the guy is out cold. I'm glad he's on our side.<br/>Dino opens the car door, "Let's do this."</p><p>*</p><p>They are sitting around the living room. Hasan Awan Sammy and Jay, Dino and Terry.<br/>Dino: Gee we just need McKenzie.<br/>Terry: I can send Paul and Jenna back for her.<br/>Dino: No I sent her home. She's going back with Alice and Mac.<br/>Terry: Thanks for consulting me on that.<br/>Dino: Yeah I consulted you the same way you consulted me when you brought her to Delhi to be interviewed. She's going back to the San Francisco office but I think we should consider her for DC with Babbitt.<br/>Terry: Yeah. Yeah. I can see that.<br/>Hasan: You don't have to put her in DC because of me. I'm all right working with her.<br/>Terry nods.<br/>Dino: Okay Hasan, let's hear it.</p><p>Hasan: I'd like to give you the long version to hear myself say it. Like to lay it out step by step for myself as much as you. Don't like where it is. Don't know where to go with it. Still not sure exactly what happened.<br/>Awan: And I want to know who killed my brother.<br/>Hasan: I haven't gotten that far.<br/>Terry: Got any gin?<br/>Awan: My father keeps a liquor cabinet in his study. We haven't opened it. but we can. Just replace what we use.<br/>Dino: I'll go look.<br/>Awan and Dino leave.<br/>Awan's father is a whiskey man. Bourbons. That's it. This looks good.<br/>Dino is holding a bottle of Heaven's Gate.<br/>Jay laughs.<br/>Dino: This is funny?<br/>Jay: Skunk Bear likes that whiskey. Suggested to her by a waiter. She says it is very smooth. Good Kentucky whiskey.<br/>Sammy: It's good. I had it with Samira.<br/>Dino gets 6 glasses. Jay and Hasan shake their heads. Jay gets up and gets them each a bottle of water. The rest accept the whiskey.<br/>Dino: Man this is good.<br/>Hasan: Okay? Settled? Ready?<br/>Dino: This isn't children's fuckin’ story hour Hasan. Just brief us.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Anabelle Lee</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hasan begins</p><p>
  <em>It was many and many a year ago</em>
  <br/>
  <em>In a kingdom by the sea,</em>
  <br/>
  <em>That a maiden there lived whom you may know</em>
  <br/>
  <em>By the name of Annabel Lee;</em>
  <br/>
  <em>And this maiden she lived with no other thought</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Than to love and be loved by me<br/></em>
</p><p>Dino: Goddammit. No poems. None of that literary stuff.<br/>Hasan laughs. “Come on Dino. It’s poem even you can understand.<br/>Dino makes his thumb and forefinger into a gun. “Shoots“ Hasan.<br/>Terry: I’ll structure it.<br/>Dino: No poems.</p><p>Terry: Okay. Have pity on Dino. No poems. Just lay it out.  </p><p>Hasan: Last May I decided I wanted to marry Amal.</p><p>Dino: While you were sharing a bed with the hottest FBI agent on either coast.</p><p>Hasan: I told her. I broke it off.  You know I did, Dino.</p><p>Dino: Just yanking your chain for the poetry.</p><p>Hasan: May I continue. You wanted a no frills briefing Dino.</p><p>Dino: Please go on</p><p>Hasan: I broke up with the hottest FBI agent on either coast and probably the midwest too. I offered her to Terry.</p><p>Terry: But I'm off the market. </p><p>Hasan: And would have offered her to the head of British Airways but my sister was offended by the notion of my passing her on.</p><p>Jay: Quite offended.</p><p>Dino: I heard she was willing to be your second wife. Wonder how the FBI would like that one.</p><p>Terry: Lets stop this here. </p><p>Hasan: Okay. I had ended the relationship with the beautiful FBI agent. I had been accepted to several medical schools. I decided I wanted UCSF, good school. Stay in the Bay Area. Stay part time at Global. Began working on a plan to get Amal amnesty so she could come back to The States. I went to Pakistan to see her.  Didn't ask her to marry me but talked to her father.  He was pleased.  He told her her mother and called the brother.  Her brother Assad was studying in Jordan -  was supposed to be studying. But he had hooked up again with the Syrians from the plane and wasn't attending class much. He was gambling. Smoking hashish. Drinking. Not hurting anyone. But not going anywhere either. From what Assad has told me he was upset.. He was unhappy about Amal and me. And he wanted their father to forbid her from seeing me anymore.  Assad wanted her to stay in Pakistan with their parents. He didn't want her in The West. He came home from Jordan and tried to talk to the father. Things were still tense because he involved Amal in the hijacking.  Assad tried to get the imam at their mosque to tell the father he shouldn't allow her to go to The States with me.  Shouldn't allow her to marry me. The imam spoke to the father. Told him Assad was against it.  But the father was not persuaded.  So Assad involved the Syrians. And then the man we call The Fifth Man.  The Fifth Man suggested acid for her face. The consensus was that I wouldn't want her if she weren't so beautiful.</p><p>Jay: Nice guy. Must like women.</p><p>Hassan: He claimed it wouldn't hurt that much but would only change her face so she wasn't so pretty. </p><p>Dino: They believed him?</p><p>Hasan: Assad says they did. </p><p>Dino: The fuck they did. </p><p>Terry: How did they involve the boy on the motorbike?</p><p>Awan: My brother. Coincidence.</p><p>Hasan: Through a hookah party.</p><p>Awan: It's my fault. My parents were away. My brother had been home alone for awhile. I was home from school for a few days. Wanted to spend time with him but wanted to see my friends while I was home too.</p><p>Awan pauses for a minute. Takes a breath</p><p>Awan: So an old friend of mine has parties. Tobacco, but also hash. Spends a lot on his pipes. Nice pipes. Shared.  Always gives good parties. So I took Zayyir with me. He was happy to be included. Still that little brother thing. He didn't know anyone. Everyone was my age or older.  But some men spent time with him. Seemed nice to him. At the time I appreciated it. One a Syrian had raced motorbikes. Talked to him about his bike. Real interested. Another was a model and an actor. And was also my friend's supplier of hashish. He is from Karachi. Likes to have his picture taken. And with him was a man who Khalid thought was from Jordan. My brother told them about me, that I was at school in Karachi and told them he was a courier. They said that sometimes they need a courier. On the way home he was excited about them.  The Syrian wanted to come by and see his motorbike maybe ride it and the actor invited him up Karachi. Said my brother could be a model. Maybe meet his agent, maybe could come with him on a modeling job. </p><p>Hassan: These men we think are the ones who paid Awan’s brother to deliver the acid. Throw the acid.</p><p>Awan: After my brother was killed we went to see Khalid.</p><p>Hasan: I asked if there were any pictures of the men. Khalid hadn't taken any pictures of the men, but he takes pictures of his hookah pipes. And he had a new one that night. He was very proud of it.  I thought there might be pictures of the Syrian or the model in the background.  There were. A little blurry, but there were pictures.  Khalid pointed out the Syrian and the fashion model. I recognized the Syrian. He was one of the hijackers.  And there was a picture of the man from Jordan. Barely in the frame. But I knew him. He wasn't a man from Jordan. He was Assad Amal’s brother.  At the edge of one of the pictures standing next to the Syrian was Amal's brother. </p><p>Terry: Your brother works some as a courier, Amal knew the Syrians from the hijacking. They couldn't deliver the acid. She would know them. The brother couldn't deliver it. They didn't count on anyone recognizing the boy on the motorbike.</p><p>Hassan: But one of the girls who was with Amal as they was coming out of the mosque knew him.  Nadya.</p><p>Awan: She, well her family, lived next door to us for a time. She smoked cigarettes with my older brother. She recognized my brother. Knew all three of us. Me my older brother and Zayyir. But there is something else. Nadya saw someone. A man watching. Maybe filming on his phone.</p><p>Hasan: It’s possible whoever did this to Amal had it filmed.</p><p>Hassan gets up. "Excuse me for a moment." </p><p>He walks to the door, goes outside.  Stands looking up at the mountains.  He is gone ten minutes.</p><p>Dino finally walks out after him. "You okay Hassan?"</p><p>Hassan: Is it on the Internet somewhere. The film of the acid and Amal?<br/><br/>Dino: If the girl had not recognized Assad’s brother, the film could have been used as leverage to be sure Awan’s brother would never reveal who hired him. </p><p>Hasam: I'm okay. Let's go back in.</p><p>Jay has gone upstairs to check on Assad. </p><p>Jay returns, "He's sleeping."</p><p>Hasan: So Nadya saw a man across the street. Watching.  She thought he was looking at them. Then she forgot all about it til my brother told her someone one of the men who hired him wanted to watch.  She noted the man because he had yellow sandals. It can't have been the Syrian. Amal knows him. It can't have been Assad. All the girls would have recognized him. Maybe the model. </p><p>Awan: The model has had mostly jobs for his feet.</p><p>Dino: His feet? </p><p>Awan: He's a foot model. Has photogenic feet. Wants to act. Imagines himself a great undiscovered actor. Want his face on the camera. But the jobs he has had so far are only for his feet.</p><p>Dino: Must be some good looking feet.</p><p>Awan: He models shoes and sandals. The give him the shoes, the sandals after he models them. Khalid says he has purple, red , green, yellow shoes and sandals. Every color. Wears them a few times. He mostly gives them away.</p><p>Hassan: Going through the pictures of the hookah, we saw feet. Someone at the party was wearing yellow sandals. It was the bottom part of the pipe, showed only feet and legs. We don't know who was wearing the yellow sandals. But someone there was. </p><p>Terry: So maybe the foot model. Maybe someone he gave them to. But the Syrian, Assad and the model were all together. Two of them were talking to your brother.</p><p>Terry: So Assad wants to prevent Amal from going to The States  with you.  Prevent her from leaving Pakistan. Maybe just prevent her from marrying anyone.  He doesn't want her killed. He just wants her to stay home and care for their parents.  So he can gamble in Jordan. He complains to the Syrians and they call The Fifth Man. The Fifth Man arranges for the acid. Acid is picked up in Karachi through the model.  The model and the Syrian and Assad bump into your brother at the party. Serendipity they have a way to deliver the acid. Someone wants to watch, maybe the model. He maybe films it on his phone.  </p><p>Hassan: Grady and I focus on Awan because originally Zayyir says his brother sent someone. Maybe a lie, maybe he believed it partly because he met them at the party his brother took him to.  Zayyir is distraught. Both by the acid and by Amal's death.  He is talking to us and he is talking to Nadya.  But Zayyir is a threat to all of them.  But mainly to Assad.  If his part in the acid was known the father would at least disown him. Whether the police would do anything or not.</p><p>Dino: Her own fucking brother had acid thrown in her face. </p><p>Hassan: He says he didn't know it would hurt her so much. </p><p>Dino: Fuck he didn't.</p><p>Awan: Do all Americans swear so much?</p><p>Dino: Fuck yes.</p><p>Terry: No. It is Dino's way of making us thinks he's a tough guy. </p><p>Diono: Damn straight.</p><p>Terry: Go wake him up. Put a hood on him. Bring him down. I don't know what we are going to do with him. I don't want him seeing me and Dino.  At least for now I don't.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. A Wet Hood</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Assad is brought down the stairs supported by Sammy and Jay. His hands are tied behind him and he has on a black hood.<br/>Terry: Secure him to the chair.<br/>Terry: Hello. I'm Captain Smith. Colonel Jones and I would like to ask you some questions. We are associates of Hassan. And he has asked us to investigate what happened to your sister.<br/>Assad: I already told him. I don't have to tell you. Ask him. Ask Hassan. Is Hassan still here?<br/>Hassan looks at Terry. Terry shakes his head.<br/>Terry: Hassan is gone. He has given you over to us. He is very sad. He thought you liked him.<br/>Assad: He wanted to fuck my sister.<br/>Terry: I believe he wanted to marry your sister.<br/>Assad: I'm not talking to you. Get Hassan back. I'll talk to him.<br/>Terry: You need to talk to us now.<br/>Assad: No.<br/>Terry: I have many ways of making you talk to us. Hassan knows many ways, I know more. Simply because I am older. And have more experience. We do not like using other ways. They are as unpleasant for us as they are for you. Well, not quite as unpleasant for us. Let us say they are distasteful to us and unpleasant for you.<br/>Assad: You can kill me. I don't care.<br/>Terry: We most certainly will not do that. And that is unnecessary. You want to die because you regret what you did to your sister?<br/>Assad: He made me do it. He should have just left her alone. What was so special about my sister. Why couldn't he have just left her alone? He could have lots of girls. Why my sister?<br/>Terry: Your sister was very beautiful I’m told. And very gentle and kind.<br/>Assad: Too beautiful.Too kind.</p><p>
  <strike><em>Terry's phone buzzes. He s</em> <em>tands, walks out of the room. Opens the outside door, goes out into the yard. Looks up at the mountains. The mountain tops are still snow covered.</em> <em>Terry: Pekingese.</em></strike>
  <br/>
  <strike> <em>Hassan: Mrs. Overlord?</em> </strike>
  <br/>
  <strike>
    <em>Terry nods. </em>
  </strike>
  <br/>
  <strike>
    <em>Terry: Buy it then. How deep is the water by the dock? Can you find out? Doesn't matter. If you want it, buy it. It's empty? Buy it and start moving in. If they are gone get a key. Put some of our stuff there. Make it a short escrow. We can pay cash. Tell them you want a two week closing. I'll be back in a few days. Did Nick see it? Mac?</em>
  </strike>
  <br/>
  <strike>
    <em>Dino walks out. Stands looking up at the mountains.</em>
  </strike>
</p><p>
  <strike>
    <strong>Dino: Mrs. Overlord?</strong>
  </strike>
</p><p>
  <strike>
    <strong>Terry nods. </strong>
  </strike>
  <br/>
  <strike><em>Terry: Nick said that? Well as long as it's a perfect place for his climbing gear, then I guess it is okay to buy it. Yeah, I know. He said maybe we could keep a small sailboat at the dock? No that's good. I want him to sail.  Yeah of course, I'll teach him. I told him that.</em>Terry: yeah me to. No. I like to hear you say it. I miss you at night too. I'll be done soon.  I'll be back. No buy it.Terry hangs up.  hangs up. </strike>
  <br/>
  <strike>
    <em>Dino: You're buying a house. You aren't even gonna look at it.</em>
  </strike>
  <br/>
  <strike>
    <em>Terry: I'm buying a house with Alice.</em>
  </strike>
  <br/>
  <strike>
    <em>Dino: You will let alice buy a house you haven't even seen.</em>
  </strike>
</p><p>
  <strike>
    <em>Terry: Whatever she wants mate. Whatever she wants.</em>
  </strike>
  <br/>
  <strike>
    <em>Dino: I know. Feel the same about Mac. Look at her and think. Whatever she wants.</em>
  </strike>
  <br/>
  <strike>
    <em>Terry: So what's next. </em>
  </strike>
  <br/>
  <strike>
    <em>Dino: Mac wants to give the tenants notice in her Bolinas place. We'll stay in St. Augustine til the after the wedding. Need to get the Bolinas tenants out, get a contractor in. I haven't even see the place yet.</em>
  </strike>
  <br/>
  <strike>
    <em>Terry: What's next here.</em>
  </strike>
  <br/>
  <strike>
    <em>Dino: Get the whole story then decied what's next. Up to Hassan, mostly. </em>
  </strike>
  <br/>
  <strike>
    <em>Terry: Whatever he decides?</em>
  </strike>
</p><p>
  <strike>
    <em>Dino shrugs.  they go back in.</em>
  </strike>
</p><p>
  <strike>
    <em>Assan: you went out. Your=r back. I can feel it. Even in the hood. i can sense things that are going on.</em>
  </strike>
</p><p>
  <strike>
    <em>Terry: yes you can. People can. It's a little surprising isnt it. </em>
  </strike>
</p><p>Terry: There are things about what happened that we don't understand. Things we want to know.<br/>Assand: I can't breathe.<br/>Terry: Sometimes it feels that way in the hood. But we assure you there is plenty of air in the hood.<br/>Terry: Would you tell me if I have your story right so far. You learned in May that Hassan wished to marry your sister, and he was trying to arrange for the FBI to offer her amnesty so she could move to the United States.<br/>Assad: Leave my parents and be with him. Leave Pakistan.<br/>Terry: And you wanted a way to stop that. You talked to the imam but he didn't help. Then you talked to the two Syrians that were on the plane wiht you.<br/>Assad: They didn't want to hurt her, but I told them we had to stop her from going. They said we have to talk to the man the FBI calls the fifth man.<br/>Terry: What is his name?<br/>Assad: I don't know his name. It's a joke. The FBI in the news called hi9m The Fifth Man. We call him that too. or just "Five".<br/>Terry: You know his name. Do you know what waterboarding is.<br/>Assad: You can't do that. Americans can't do that anymore. Because of Geneva.<br/>Terry: I'm not American, mate. Colonel Jones perhaps you would demonstrate for our guest how unpleasant waterboarding is.<br/>Terry winks at Dino.<br/>Dino walks into the kitchen gets a towel, wets it, gets a glass of water.<br/>Terry: What is the most anyone has held out Colonel Jones?<br/>Dino: 47 times. Not all at one sitting of course.<br/>Terry: Assad don't be alarmed we have to tilt your chair back to do this.<br/>Assad: I'd tell you I don't' know.<br/>Terry: I think you know. Colonel Jones if you please.<br/>Terry motions to Jay and Sammy. Sammy and Jay tilt the chair back. Dino puts the wet towel over the Assad's face on top  of the mask, pours the glass of water on the the towel. Assad start screaming. Chokes on the water. Terry motions for them to put the chair upright.<br/>Dino removes them wet towel.<br/>Awan is looking alarmed. Hassan puts his hand on Awan's arm,shakes his head, whispers "Fake."<br/>Terry is smiling: Colonel Jones I think he is not persuaded. Perhaps he is one who will break the record. Perhaps he will be 48 or 50 times before he will tell us what we want to know. I think another time or two.<br/>Assad: No more please. It feels like drownIng. I'll tell you. I know. We all know. He’s a Saudi. Fahad al Saud.<br/>Terry: Where is he.<br/>Assad: I don't know. The Syrians know. He wants to blow-up a plane.<br/>Terry: Why didn't he blow up the plane in San Francisco?<br/>Assad: There were no explosives. And they told him no.<br/>Terry: Who told him no?<br/>Assad: The men on the phone. He was angry. And we listened to my sister, not him. I don't like him. He hated Amal. He hates women. He hated that we listened to her. We did not know him. We did not trust him. He could have blown-up the plane. With us on it too. All of us. If he gets another chance and there are explosives on a plane he will blow it up.<br/>Terry: But he got the acid for you.<br/>Assad; How else could get it? How else could I take her away from Hassan?<br/>Hassan starts to say something. Terry shakes his head.<br/>Terry: Wouldn't killing her have been easier?<br/>Assad screams: No. No . She was supposed to live. Stay in Pakistan. Fahad wanted her dead. He wanted us to kill her. I said no. My parents needed her. No. She wasn’t supposed to die.<br/>Terry: Did someone film the acid being thrown?<br/>Assad: Fahad said the boy on the motorbike might tell. Mubarak was going to throw the acid. He’s an actor he was going to be in disguise. But then we met the boy at Khalid’s. And he told us he was a courier. And we thought that was better. But Fahad said if we used the boy we had to film it. He said if we had the film we could threaten to give it to the police or show it his parents. Or show it to my parents. It would keep him quiet. Mubarak did it. Everything. He takes pictures of everything. He wants to be in all the pictures. He wants to be an actor, a director. And Fahad wanted to see it. Because of his hate. It is hard for me to breathe. The hood is wet. It sticks to my face. My mouth my nose.<br/>Terry: Would you like a dry hood?<br/>Assad: I don't want a hood. Can't you wear the hoods? If you don't want me to see you.<br/>Terry: We could wear the hoods. Well, masks.Yes. We wear masks sometimes when we question people.<br/>Assad: Get Hassan. I will tell Hassan I am sorry<br/>Terry: Are you sorry?<br/>Assad: My sister is dead. I loved her. My parents cry all the time. My mother doesn’t eat. I didn’t want her dead.<br/>Terry:Hassan is grieving for your sister.<br/>Hassan: Well what about me? I’m sick.<strike>Are you MI6</strike><br/><strike>Dino says "no."</strike><br/>Terry: We will get you a dry hood. You will be more comfortable. In just a moment. A few more questions<br/>Terry: Why did you kill the boy on the motorbike?<br/>Assad: Don’t  know<br/>Terry: You didn't kill the boy on the motorbike.<br/>Assad: No.<br/>Terry: Who did?<br/>Assad: Maybe the Syrian<br/>Terry: He was hit in the back of the head with something. It smashed his head.<br/>Assad: It wasn't me. I didn't do it.<br/>Terry: He was talking on the phone to his brother when he was hit. We have his phone.<br/>Assad:You have his phone?<br/>Terry: His phone plays a certain song when his brother calls him. The phone was under the bed, but we found it.<br/>Assad: It won't show anything.<br/>Terry: We wondered why the murderer didn't take the phone. We think the video of throwing the acid maybe was sent to the boy. Is maybe on the phone. The phone is password protected. But we have friends who are trying to open it.<br/>Assad: You can't open the phone. Apple won't help people open phones.<br/>Terry: We would like to see if there are text messages.<br/>Assad: You said you would give me a dry hood.<br/>Terry: Perhaps it would be a waste of time to give you a dry hood now. You are not answering my questions honestly. A man can feel the water on his face, can go through the choking 47 times we know this. Before he gives up and talks.<br/>Dino: Or drowns.<br/>Assad: I didn't do it. I didn't kill anyone. Hassan caused all this trouble. My sister is dead. Zayyir is dead because of Hassan. Not me. Please give me a dry hood. Please dont' put water on my face again. It feels like drowning.  I didn’t kill the courier. <br/>Terry: Col Jones and I are going to stop for now. I want you to consider carefully if you want to risk lying to us. If you lie we have no choice but to make things unpleasant until you talk to us. You are going to be escorted upstairs now. We will see you again soon.<br/>Terry nods to Jay and Sammy. They take him back up to the room.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. The electric handshake</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It is midday. Assad is upstairs again sleeping. Another injection.<br/>Sammy is with him. Sitting quietly in a chair across from him. Reading.<br/>Terry and Hassan are sitting in the living room talking. Awan is in the kitchen with Jay. Jay is cooking. Dino has gone for a run.</p><p>Terry: I hate this stuff. I like being the good guys.<br/>Hassan: We're still the good guys. It was the brother.<br/>Terry: What do you want to do?<br/>Hassan: Not finished yet. I want to know the whole thing. Owe it to Awan to find out who killed his brother. He feels guilty. I feel guilty.<br/>Terry: If you hadn't gotten on the plane?<br/>Hassan: Grady says infinite permutations. If they hadn't hijacked the plane. If Samira had come back to London with Jay and she hadn't been on the plane. If Amal's father hadn't wanted his children to be educated in The States. If Amal's father hadn't married the mother. If Amal had never been born...<br/>Terry: Stop it. If you'd never been born..<br/>Hassan laughs: If neither of us had ever been born...<br/>Terry gets up: What next? Did Assad kill Awan's brother.<br/>Hassan: Maybe not. Don’t see it. Possible. Instinct is no.  You don’t like this. <br/>Terry: Do you?<br/>Hassan: I suffer from a certain ability to detach. My father has it too. Most maybe all surgeons have it. It is the ability to shift consciousness. Empathy is temporarily shut off.<br/>Dino walks in.<br/>Dino: I could have been a surgeon.<br/>Terry: Yeah?<br/>Dino: But too much blood. But I have the detachment. Put out your hand, Hassan.<br/>Dino reaches in his pocket. Palms something.<br/>Hassan puts out his hand.<br/>Dino shakes it. Hassan jumps, jerks his hand away.<br/>Hassan: Dino what the fuck?<br/>Dino opens his hand. In his palm is a small round plastic disk about a half inch thick.<br/>Hassan: You shocked me with that. I haven't ever seen that. You use that for integration? Something the Americans use?<br/>Dino: No man. $3.49 on Ebay. I got it to keep Mac's cat from clawing her furniture. But the cat won't let me near her when I have it. And Mac won’t  let me use it. I've been carrying it around. Like to try it on Assad.<br/>Hassan: Not sure he'll shake hands with you. You got that on Ebay? It hurt man.<br/>Dino: Can get anything on eBay. Hey. Just wanted to try it out.<br/>Hassan: Let me see it.<br/>Dino hands it to him.<br/>Hassan palms it. Reaches over holds it against Dino's neck.<br/>Dino yells, punches Hassan in the stomach.<br/>Hassan doubles over.<br/>Terry: Okay boys..<br/>Hassan: He started it<br/>Dino: I'm your fucking boss.<br/>Hassan holding his stomach, "Ease-up Dino. You did start it. Don't use that on the cat."<br/>Dino: Nah. Starting to like the cat. Like the sound when it purrs. Don't care about the furniture. Mac would break up with me if I hurt the cat.<br/>Hassan: You want to try that on Assad.<br/>Dino: Would like to. Have an idea.<br/>Terry: Okay with me.<br/><strike>Terry's phone buzzes.</strike><br/><strike>Terry: Pekingese.</strike><br/><strike>Hassan: Mrs. Overlord?</strike><br/><strike>Terry nods. Stands,walks out of the room. Opens the outside door, goes out into the yard. Looks up at the mountains. The mountain tops are still snow covered.</strike><br/><strike>Terry: Buy it then. How deep is the water by the dock? Can you find out? Doesn't matter. If you want it, buy it. It's empty? Buy it and start moving in. Make it a short escrow. We can pay cash. Tell them you want a two week closing. I'll be back in a few days. Did Nick see it? Mac?</strike><br/><strike>Dino walks out. Stands looking up at the mountains.</strike><br/><strike>Terry: Nick said that? Well as long as it's a perfect place for his climbing gear, then I guess it is okay to buy it. Yeah, I know. He said maybe we could keep a small sailboat at the dock. Yeah of course, I'll teach him. I told him that.</strike><br/><strike>Dino: You're buying a house. You aren't even gonna look at it.</strike><br/><strike>Terry: I'm buying a house with Alice.</strike><br/><strike>Dino: You will let alice buy a house you haven't even seen.</strike></p><p><strike>Terry: Whatever she wants mate. Whatever she wants.</strike><br/><strike>Dino: I know. Feel the same about Mac. Look at her and think. Whatever she wants.</strike><br/><strike>Terry: So what's next. </strike><br/><strike>Dino: Mac wants to give the tenants notice in her Bolinas place. We'll stay in St. Augustine til the after the wedding. Need to get the Bolinas tenants out, get a contractor in. I haven't even see the place yet.</strike><br/><strike>Terry: What's next here.</strike><br/>Dino: Want to try my buzzer out on Assad. Get him to tell us about Awan's brother.<br/>Terry: Then?<br/>Dino: Up to Hassan. Whatever he decides. Like to know more about this Saudi though. We have a few friends who would like more information about him. Guy is into blowing up planes. Probably not going to be happy til he blows up one.<br/>Terry: Not sure Assad knows much.<br/>Dino: We have a name. That's progress.<br/>Terry: We have a name.<br/>Terry smiles. Claps Dino on the back. "Buying a house with Alice, mate."<br/>Dino: Congratulations.<br/>They go back in.<br/>Terry: Like a meeting. Everybody. Want to finish up. Need to get back. Jay would you go up and get Sammy. Leave Assad in the room.<br/>Jay: Inject him?<br/>Terry: No, I'm going to bring him down soon. Check everything, though. Hands, feet. Tape.<br/>Jay: Gee thanks. Wouldn't have thought of doing that.<br/>Terry laughs: Good thing I reminded you then. Half hour. Meeting first.<br/>They gather around the dining table.<br/>Terry: Awan, I don’t think it's likely that Assad killed your brother. But he knows who did. We can persuade him to tell us about it. We are going to threaten him but we aren't going to torture him. We are going to scare him and let him think we will torture him. Dino would you shake Awan's hand.<br/>Dino reaches out the electric buzzer concealed in his palm.<br/>Awan jumps. Rubs his hand.<br/>Awan: What was that?<br/>Dino: Just a buzzer from ebay. Gives a mild electric shock. We are going to scare Assan with it.<br/>Terry: We are going to question Assad again. He will tell us the rest now. If  he confesses to murdering your brother, then you and Hassan will have to decide what you want done with him.<br/>Awan:What do you mean.<br/>Terry: Well there are many things that can be done. He could have an accident for example. An unfortunate accident. It happens.<br/>Dino: We can't turn him over to the Pakistani authorities. But we could see that they have enough to charge him. Justice in Pakistan is somewhat let's say flexible. We could leave it to your family and his. We could simply let him go.<br/>Awan: If he killed my brother, he can't just walk away.<br/>Terry: Might be worst thing for him. Has not been easy for him to live with what he has done.<br/>Terry: We'll bring him down. Keep the hood on. Tell him no more water, we have taken pity on him. But he must tell us now about Zayyir. Or we will be forced to persuade him. Dino will shock his hand. We will take off his pants, leave his underwear, maybe shock his thigh a time or two. He will tell us then.<br/>Awan: How do you know?<br/>Hassan: I know. We know.<br/>Awan: Because you have done those things.<br/>Hassan: Let's just say we know.<br/>Terry: Hassan you want to ask the questions or you want me to?<br/>Hassan: You start. But this time I may want to also. What about you Awan?<br/>Awan: I don't know.<br/>Hassan: If you want to ask something, motion to me or Terry we will all go out of the room and discuss it.<br/>Awan nods.<br/>Terry: Go get him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0030"><h2>30. Alice in Wonderland Land.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Alice tries the key the realtor has given her.<br/>
Mac and Nick are standing behind her. The key doesn't turn.<br/>
Nick: Withdraw it a little.<br/>
Alice hands it to Nick.<br/>
Alice: You try.<br/>
Alice steps back, Nick tries the key. Inserts it in the lock, then slides the key back out slightly.<br/>
Nick: Old locks. Have to position the key just so.<br/>
Alcie How do you know about old locks?<br/>
Nick smiles.<br/>
Alice: Never mind.<br/>
They open they the door. There are no coverings on the windows. The rooms are full of light. Afternoon light. The Bay outside the windows is robin's egg blue and glistening.  One tower of the Golden Gate is visible.<br/>
Mac: Terry will love this place.<br/>
Alice: I hope so.<br/>
Nick: I'll go unload the car. I'll bring the food down to the dock.<br/>
Nick leaves.<br/>
Mac: You didn't want to wait til escrow closed?<br/>
Alice: I didn't.  I wanted to be here. Wanted to take possession of it. Put some clothes in a closet. Some dishes in a cupboard. I'm going to call him. She punches in a number.<br/>
Terry answers groggily: What?<br/>
Alice: It's me. Guess where I am?<br/>
Terry looks at his watch.<br/>
Terry: Alice it's oh three hundred here. 3AM.<br/>
Alice: Oh. Sorry. Did  I wake you?<br/>
Terry: Yes you woke me.<br/>
Alice: I'm in our house. I'm here with Mac and Nick and we are looking out the window of our living room at one tower of The Golden Gate bridge. And we are going to walk down to our dock and have a picnic. And I'm going to hang something of yours and something of mine in the closet of the master bedroom and put some dishes in the cupboard. I wish you were here.<br/>
Terry: We are almost done here. I'll be there soon.<br/>
Alice: I love this house Terry. We are going to be very happy here. Can we call it Wonderland?<br/>
Terry: Like my boat?<br/>
Alice: Like your boat.<br/>
Terry: Sure why not? Well maybe Wonderland Land to distinguish it from the boat. Is there anything else?<br/>
Alice: No. Not really. I mean I love you.<br/>
Terry: I'm glad to know that. Good night Alice.<br/>
Alice: Good night Cheshire Cat.<br/>
Terry: Good night Alice in Wonderland Land.<br/>
Terry laughs, hangs up.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0031"><h2>31. the EBay Buzzer</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Early afternoon. Skardu house.</p><p>Assad is bound to a chair in the living room. Hooded. Dino, Terry, Jay, Hassan, and Awan are in the living room.</p><p>Assad: How much longer are you going to do this?<br/>
Terry: Until we know what we want to know.<br/>
Assad: I’ve told you everything.<br/>
Terry: We need to know who killed the courier. The boy who threw the acid.<br/>
Assad: I don’t know.<br/>
Terry: After the acid was thrown what did you do?<br/>
Assad: I went to the hospital. I saw her. It made me sick.<br/>
Terry: Where were the Syrians and the model.<br/>
Assad: They went back to Karachi. To Mubarak’s. His mother’s. They sent the video to the courier to warn him to never tell anyone about them. Zayyir said he didn’t care about the video. That a girl recognized him. She knew him. And she told the imam his name. That he was afraid the police would come. There was no tie to me. They called me. I thought I was safe. The courier met me but I had no ties to he acid. But they worried. About the courier. Then Hasan came and another man. Asking questions. They went to see Zayyir. The imam. He talked to the girl.  They were stirring things up.That is all I know.<br/>
Terry: Colonel Jones, I don’t think we are getting the whole story.<br/>
Dino: Perhaps some further persuasion.<br/>
Dino takes Assad’s hand, opens his palm and buzzes him with the electric buzzer.<br/>
Assad screams, writhes in the chair.<br/>
Assad:That‘s all I know.<br/>
Terry: Remove his pants, please. <br/>
Terry What I am going to do to you I find distasteful. But you leave me no choice<br/>
Terry: Col Jones.<br/>
Sammy and Jay remove Assad’s jeans. Leave his shorts. Terry points to the  inside of his right thigh. Dino presses the buzzer there Assad screams. Struggles against the restraints. Hassan watches him grim faced.<br/>
Terry: Tell us everything now or I will have your underwear removed and you know what will be done then.<br/>
Assad  struggles against the restraints.<br/>
Assad:  I didn’t hurt the courier; it was Aladdin.<br/>
Terry: Aladdin the Syrian?<br/>
Assad: Aladdin did it. Mubarak was there. They hit him with a cricket bat. In the back of the head. So he would stop talking on the phone.<br/>
Terry: You asked them to do it?<br/>
Assad: No no. I didn’t. I didn’t ask. They wanted to do it. Mubarak filmed it. He films everything.<br/>
Terry: You asked them.<br/>
Assad: No.  I told them if my father found out I was involved with the acid he would disown me. I would have no money. My father loved Amal. Everyone loved Amal. If he found out it was me, he would go to his family, his brothers.   My father would curse me. Send me away. I would never see my family again. I would have no one, no money. You can see it would have been terrible, very terrible for me. I told Mubarak and Aladdin. I asked them to help me.  They said they would make sure the courier said nothing. I didn’t know they would kill him. I thought they would talk to him, scare him.<br/>
Terry: Afterward they told you.<br/>
Assad:  They sent me the videos. They said he was on the phone to his brother. They came in the house. The door was unlocked. He was upstairs. They heard him on the phone. They went upstairs. There was a cricket bat by the door. <br/>
Awan: My bat. Cricket. I played. We were champions my team.  I gave the bat to my brother. He was proud of it. He liked having it. It was in his room.<br/>
Assad:Aladdin took the bat. Mubarak took out his phone. Aladdin hit Zayyir  with the bat so he couldn’t finish on the phone. Mubarak recorded it on the phone. They sent it to me. Then they heard someone. They ran away.<br/>
Terry: They sent you the video.<br/>
Assad: No. I didn’t watch it.<br/>
Terry: They sent it to you so you didn’t worry about your father. You have it on your phone.<br/>
Assad: No. NO.<br/>
Terry: Could you get me Assad’s phone please.<br/>
Sammy gets the phone.<br/>
Terry: Your password please.<br/>
Assad: No.<br/>
Terry:Col Jones we need more cooperation.<br/>
Dino presses the buzzer on Assad’s thigh. Assad screams.<br/>
Assad: NO.<br/>
Dino: Password. Now.<br/>
Terry: Take off his shorts.<br/>
Jay and Sammy remove his shorts.<br/>
Assad struggles .<br/>
Dino shakes his head at a Terry. Mouths no.<br/>
Terry: Last chance Assad. The colonel is unhappy with your cooperation.<br/>
Terry points to Assad’s thigh again.<br/>
Dino pushes the buzzer against the Assad’s thigh. Assad screams.<br/>
Terry: Stop Colonel. I forgot to tell Assad that if we must use the electricity, he may never perform sexually again.<br/>
Assad starts to cry again. They can hear him crying beneath the hood.<br/>
Assad: Stop it. It hurts. Don’t shock me anymore. I‘ll tell you.<br/>
He gives them the password.<br/>
Assad: Just kill me. No more water. No more electricity. It doesn’t matter if you kill me. But don’t let Hassan see the pictures of Amal. I don’t want Hassan to see the pictures. Promise you won’t show him.<br/>
Terry: They sent you the pictures of your sister? The acid. When he threw the acid.<br/>
Assad: Mubarak is proud of the pictures. Wants to put them on the Internet. It was horrible. I can’t stop seeing it. I can’t sleep. I can’t eat.  I don’t want my father to see it. Or my mother. It would kill my mother.<br/>
Terry:You didn’t erase it<br/>
Assad: I should. I didn’t. I should.<br/>
Terry: Let’s see.<br/>
Terry nods to Sammy.<br/>
Terry: Find the videos.<br/>
Sammy enters the password. Sammy turns the sound off. He scrolls through the phone til he finds the videos. Shakes his head. It takes him a few minutes. He offers the phone to Terry and to Jay. Terry motions for Jay to look.<br/>
Sammy hands the phone to Jay.<br/>
Jay looks at the pictures in phone. His face is grim.<br/>
Jay hands the phone to Terry.<br/>
Jay: It’s pretty bad Terry. I couldn’t bear it if it were Skunk Bear.<br/>
Terry slowly goes through the videos on the phone. Then he goes thru them a second time.<br/>
Assad is rocking and moaning. Saying no no.<br/>
Terry: Hassan do you want to see it?<br/>
Assad: Hassan is here?<br/>
Terry: Hassan is here<br/>
Assad: I’m so sorry. Don’t look at it Hasan. DON’T LOOK. Please don’t look.<br/>
Hassan: I want to see it. I want to see what you did to her.<br/>
Terry puts his hand on Hassan’s arm. Shakes his head.<br/>
Terry: You look you’ll never be able to unsee it, Hassan. You could wait awhile. Think about it. <br/>
Hasan: I want to see it.<br/>
Assad: DON’T. Hasan, don’t look. Please don’t.<br/>
Hassan puts his hand out for the phone. Terry hands Hassan the phone. Hassan watches the video. He is very still. He hands the phone back to Terry. Walks to the back door goes outside. Makes it barely through the door. He vomits.<br/>
Awan: I want to see the videos.<br/>
Assad: Hassan will kill me now. I don’t care if he kills me. If you all kill me.<br/>
Terry hands Awan the phone. Awan looks at both videos. He picks up a lamp from a table throws it down on the floor smashes it. Starts for Assad, Dino grabs him, stops him. Dino nods to Sammy and Jay. The take Awan’s arms hold him, pull him away from Assad.<br/>
Terry: We’ll decide together what should be done.<br/>
Awan: We kill him. I’ll kill him. My brother was innocent.<br/>
Awan shakes off Jay and Sammy. He walks out, walks outside to Hassan. Stands with Hassan.<br/>
They stand quietly together.<br/>
Terry and Dino look at Assad.<br/>
Terry: Take him upstairs. Put him back to sleep.<br/>
Jay and Sammy re-dress Assad.<br/>
Assad:I don’t care if you kill me. I don’t care. My life is ruined. Hassan ruined it. 
Dino:Shut the fuck up. <br/>
Dino slaps him across the face.<br/>
Jay gets Dino’s arm. <br/>
Jay: Not in the hood man.<br/>
Dino: I can slap him in the hood if I goddamn want to.<br/>
Terry: Jay’s right man. Not in the hood.<br/>
Dino: Hood no hood what the fuck difference does it make?<br/>
Jay: Just does.<br/>
Dino: Get him the fuck out of here.<br/>
Jay and Sammy take Assad upstairs.</p><p> Terry walks outside stands by Hassan and Awan.<br/>
Hassan: I caused her death. I loved her but if I had never met her, without me, she lives.<br/>
Terry: No. Assad was trouble. He was going to get her in trouble Wuith you or without you.<br/>
Hassan: Maybe shouldn’t have looked at video.<br/>
Jay comes out.<br/>
Jay: He’s down again. Sammy injected him. He’ll be out til morning. Hassan, you okay?<br/>
Hassan: Fuck man. My fault. My fault.<br/>
Hasan makes a choking sound; he begins crying.<br/>
Jay gets close to him puts his arms around him.<br/>
Jay: Not your fault. You only wanted to do good for her man. You can’t control everything.<br/>
Hassan: Should have been able to protect her.<br/>
Hassan pulls away. Walks further out into the yard. Stands alone.<br/>
Terry slowly follows him.  Puts his hand on his arm.<br/>
Terry: We are going in. Come in when you are ready. Soon though. We need to make decisions. You will need to decide.<br/>
Terry begins walking back to the house.<br/>
Awan walks out toward Hassan. He nods to Terry as he passes him. Stands with Hasan. They stand there quietly together looking up at the mountain tops.<br/>
Jay and Terry walk back into the house.<br/>
Dino is on his knees cleaning up the broken lamp. Sammy is standing by with a broom.<br/>
Dino: Kid has a bad temper. Breaks things.<br/>
Terry: And you don’t.<br/>
Terry and Jay laugh.<br/>
Jay: What now boss?<br/>
Terry:Hassan’s call.<br/>
Jay: I’ll guess I’ll make us some dinner. A recipe I want to try.<br/>
Terry: I never took you for a cook.<br/>
Jay: Worked for friends of my father in high school. French restaurant. Liked it.<br/>
Terry: Something French for dinner?<br/>
Jay: Give me a rain check on French. This is another curry.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0032"><h2>32. Hassan's Decision</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><br/>They are finishing the clean up from the dinner. Sammy and Dino are doing dishes at the sink. Jay is sitting at the table with Hasan and a Terry and Awan.</p><p>Terry: Your call Hasan.<br/>Hassan: Keep thinking about Amal. She wouldn’t want me to kill him.<br/>Dino: She's dead man. She’ll never know.<br/>Awan: I want to kill him. Man that guy has ruined so many lives.<br/>Hassan: What would you do Terry?<br/>Dino: Don’t ask him unless you want a speech on war and peace and the difference between soldiers and police and assassins.<br/>Hassan: What would you do Terry?<br/>Terry: I’m well I was a soldier. Dino is right in a way.<br/>Sammy: Elite soldier.<br/>Terry: A soldier like Sammy and Jay and Dino. You and Grady. You are something different.<br/>Dino: Assassins.<br/>Hassan: Wasn’t an assassin.<br/>Dino: Could have been.<br/>Hassan: Could have been.  No assassinations though. <br/>Terry: I’d let the brother go. I’d tell the father. Let the family deal with him.<br/>Awan: No.<br/>Terry: Not finished. But the Syrian and the model. I’d feel like I had to arrange a fatal accident for them. At the least the Syrian. I couldn’t be at peace til I did that. The authorities might deliver justice to them. But justice in Pakistan, in most places, can be too elastic.<br/>Awan: Kill the model and the Syrian.<br/>Terry: If it were me.<br/>Awan: Let Assad go. Won’t he tell them what we’ve done.<br/>Terry: Don’t think so. Don’t think he well tell anyone. Maybe the Syrians. Maybe the model. Who would believe him? We’ll be gone.</p><p>Dino: The Fifth Man? The Saudi?<br/>Awan: I won’t be gone.<br/>Hassan: I agree with Terry.<br/>Terry: Is it enough for you?<br/>Hassan: It’s enough. Rather not kill Amal’s brother.<br/>Awan: Even though he caused her death? It’s not enough for me.<br/>Dino: It was the fuckin Syrian who did the deed man. Makes sense to kill him.<br/>Awan: I want to kill them both, all three of them, the model too.<br/>Terry: Just a guess but I don’t think you’ve ever killed anyone<br/>Awan: And all of you have?<br/>Terry: All of us have.<br/>Awan: Then you kill them.<br/>Terry: What if we just kill the Syrian?<br/>Awan: The model filmed it.<br/>Terry: He did.<br/>Dino: We kill the Syrian, but the model and Amal's brother are always looking over their shoulders. It’s its own kind of hell.<br/>Awan: I haven’t ever killed anyone. I want to kill them.<br/>Hassan: Leave the brother, Awan, leave Assad. I’ll kill the Syrian.<br/>Terry: Any of us can do it.<br/>Hasan: Easiest for me. Need a little more time off. I’ll arrange an accident.<br/>Terry: Time off granted.<br/>Dino: As long as you need. We’ll underwrite it.<br/>Hassan: I’ve still got a lot of your money left.  Planning to go to Monaco on the way back.<br/>Awan: Let me go with you. Not to Monaco.To kill him.  Help you.<br/>Hassan: No. Too dangerous. You don’t know what you are doing.<br/>Dino: Take him. You can manage him. He wants to do it for his brother.<br/>Terry: Either way. You can never tell anyone Awan. That's how it works. Never.<br/>Awan: I know that.<br/>Terry: Okay. I’ll call Paul get our plane back up here. How do you want to do this?<br/>Hassan: You have a place in Karachi, Awan?<br/>Awan: Small apartment.<br/>Hassan: Awan and I will go to Karachi. Work out something for the Syrian. My friend who flew us up. Still owes me a favor or two. I'll get him to come pick us up. Take us to Karachi. <br/>Terry: We can take Assad back.<br/>Hassan: I’ll take him back. Before Karachi I'll go to Faisalabad.  I have to meet with Amal's father. I have to tell him all of it. I'll turn Assad over to him. Awan can see his parents before we go up to Karachi. </p><p>Terry: Will Assad cooperate?</p><p>Hasan: I'll keep him sedated til I can turn him over to the family. <br/>Hassan: We'll work it out. Awan and I can work together. <br/>Terry: We can help.<br/>Hasan: Done enough man. More than enough. Can never thank you. <br/>Terry: We take care of our guys.<br/>Hasan: You do.<br/>Dino: We fuckin' do.<br/>Awan: You need a physicist? I like you. I'd like to work for you. <br/>Terry: Wouldn't mind having you Awan. You'd be good. But don’t have any openings for a physicist right now.<br/>Awan: Only thing I'm really good at.<br/>Dino: If ever need a physicist, we’ll call you first man.</p><p>Terry calls Paul. He’s in Delhi. Terry arranges for him to fly in the next morning.  Hassan calls his pilot friend. He will come in the morning as well.</p><p>Jay and Dino and Sammy and Terry fly directly to San Francisco.</p><p>Hasan and Awan fly to Faisalabad.  They meet with Amal's father. Turn Assad over to him. He is still sedated when they turn him over. And then they fly on to Karachi.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0033"><h2>33. Chapter 33</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Terry pulls into the parking space next to the garage.<br/>
In front of the house is a sign that says Wonderlandland.<br/>
Terry: Wonderlandland? I thought we would make it two words.<br/>
Alice: I did too. But I guess they misunderstood.  We can have it changed. I just wanted it here when you came the first time.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0034"><h2>34. Hassan sends an article</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Terry and Alice and Nick are in the garage of the Tiburon House. They are surrounded by boxes. Stacks of boxes.<br/>Terry’s phone buzzes.<br/>It’s a text. A link to a Karachi paper. Karachi Times</p><p>
  <em>Foot Model Dies</em>
</p><p><em>Mubarak Ali and an out of town friend were trapped Monday evening in a burning car which exploded near Aga Khan University killing both of them. The two were in the car calling for help for several minutes. Bystanders tried to get the doors open but the doors were stuck. A university student passing by said that high heat sometimes jams the doors. One bystander Mehsud Anwar says he filmed it on his phone. “It will give you nightmares. You could hear them screaming. You could see their skin burning. You could smell it too.“   Anwar plans to upload the video if no one wants to buy it. Police say the men had several cans of petrol in the trunk which contributed to the accident. In an interview with Mubarak’s mother said she did not know why they had petrol  in the trunk. She said her son’s friend, a man from Syria raced motorbikes and that perhaps it was for a bike race. A spokesman for Rashid Sandal Company said Mubarak had exquisitely beautiful feet and had been their best foot model in years. It will be impossible to replace him.” The spokesman added “We at Rashid are greatly saddened by this terrible loss.” Mubarak Ali was also an actor and amateur film maker and was working on a film on the history of the hookah in Pakistan. The name of the friend is being withheld until next of kin ca</em>n be notified. </p><p>Alice: What is it?</p><p>A news clipping from Hassan.</p><p>Alice: May I read it.</p><p>Terry: Sure</p><p>Alice reads it.</p><p>Alice: An accident?</p><p>Terry: An accident.</p><p>Alice: Will he be back now.</p><p>Terry: In the air. On his way back.</p><p>Alice: Will he be okay?</p><p>Terry: Yes, it may take awhile.</p><p>Alice: Will he go back to McKenzie?</p><p>Terry: I wouldn’t be surprised.</p><p>Alice: Will she take him back?</p><p>Terry: You can ask her I invited her, him, the whole team from this, over day after tomorrow. The people who were involved are coming here for dinner.</p><p>Alice: DINNER? HERE? </p><p>Alice: Terry, the house is full of boxes.</p><p>Terry: Doesn’t matter.</p><p>Alice: It's short notice for me to cook for a group.    </p><p>Terry: Order out. Have some alcohol delivered.  We have ice.  We’ll get some cups, paper plates.</p><p>Terry: They don’t care how the place looks and I’m proud of this place. Want to have this team here.  Always like to get a team together for something when an operation is finished. </p><p>Alice: Why McKenzie? </p><p>Terry: She was part of the Beirut team. If she is going to work for us, she has to deal with Hasan.</p><p>Alice: Okay. Hope they know what they are getting into. I mean all of them. The boxes, the disorganization. </p><p>Terry Don’t worry. Pretty flexible group.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0035"><h2>35. Epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Epilogue [draft]<br/> <br/>They are all at Terry and Alice’s house in Tiburon. Early evening. Still light.  Dining room has a dining table, chairs. But boxes along the walls. Living room has a haphazardly placed sofa and chairs. Some people are in chairs,  others sitting on boxes.  There are bread sticks in a tall glass someone managed to find. And a huge  vase filled with what looks like wild flowers.  On the dining table are pizzas, salads, a lasagna. On a side table are open bottles of alcohol. Dino’s beloved Laphroaig. Terry's Bombay Sapphire Gin. A bottle of rye. Some bourbons. An inexplicable bottle of rum. A cooler with beer, sodas. Everywhere there are unopened boxes stacked.  The house looks out at San Francisco Bay. And San Francisco.  There are French doors that open out onto a deck.  Hasan, Grady, Jay, Sammy. Jay’s wife Samira (AKA Skunk Bear), their two year daughter old Chantin, Dino, Mac, Terry,  Alice, McKenzie all are all there.  Nick is serving and picking-up. Paul and Jenna are not there but are coming later.<br/>Terry: I apologize to all of you for the unsettled state of things in our new house. We had hoped to be settled by now but as you can see, we are not.  My wife Alice [Alice takes a bow. Laughs] said the first thing is to make up the beds.  And the bed is made and tonight after we clean-up after all of you we will sleep here for the first time. But little more besides the bed has been done. As you can plainly see little more has been done. I want to thank you all for helping Hasan find out what happened to Amal.<br/>Alice: You are all welcome  here. You are our first guests. You honor our home by being here.  We apologize for the disarray. We promise to have you all back when we are a bit more settled.  We hope you will be here often.<br/>Applause.<br/>Terry: Anything you want to say Hasan?<br/>Hasan stands.<br/>Hasan: Thank you. Uh. As you all know, before I came to work for Dino and Terry I worked alone in what is called the clandestine service. I didn’t work alone on this. I wanted to. Thought I needed to. But Dino and Terry wouldn’t let me. All I can say, is thank you. Than you.<br/>Applause.<br/>Dino goes the table with the alcohol. Pours two drinks. Carries them across the room to Terry. Hands him one glass.<br/>Dino: Your gin. Pretty nice place, Terry. Show me and Mac around.<br/>Dino calls Mac over.<br/>Dino: Come on we are getting the tour.<br/>Mac: Terry this is the perfect place for you and Alice. I know you are not moved in but it feels like you have always lived here. Funny the way it feels like that.<br/>They go up the stairs. Terry waves to Alice.<br/>Terry: Giving Dino the tour.<br/>Alice waves.<br/>She sees Hasan walk outside.  Stands by himself.  Alice follows him out.  She walks over to him, he is standing on the rear deck of the house looking out at the Bay.<br/>Alice: Are you all right?<br/>Hassan: Mrs. Overlord. I'm alright.  I’m glad to be here.  <br/>Alice: You are done with what you needed to do.<br/>Hasan: I've done what I can do. I made some mistakes. There was a video. They took a video of the boy throwing the acid. It was on a phone.<br/>Alice: Did you see it?<br/>Hasan: Terry told me to think about it. Maybe not watch it. Or wait awhile. He told me I wouldn't be able to unsee it. I didn't listen. I saw it. I can't unsee it. Maybe I was wrong to watch it.<br/>Alice: You watched it.<br/>Hasan: Watched it. Heard her screams. The others watched with the sound off. But I wanted to hear her.<br/>Alice: Now you wonder if you should have watched it?<br/>Hasan: Didn't change anything. Made it worse for me. I thought maybe what I imagined was worse than what the video would show. But the video was worse than my imagination.<br/>Alice: Would you walk down to the dock with me.<br/>Hasan: It will be dark before we can come back.<br/>Alice: It will be light for awhile. And we have some lights along the path. Wait here. I'll turn on the lights and I'll tell Terry we are going for a walk. So he doesn't worry.<br/>Hasan: all right.<br/>Alice goes back in. Doesn't see Terry. Sees Nick.<br/>Alice: Do you know where Terry is?<br/>Nick: Still showing Dino the house. Mac went with them.<br/>Alice: I'm going to walk down to the dock with Hasan. Will you play host til Terry comes down.<br/>Nick: Sure Mom. Jenna is coming in a little while.<br/>Alice: She can be hostess til I get back. Nicky would you turn the path lights on for us. It might be dark before we come back.<br/>Nick: Sure mom. Some of them are out. Be careful.<br/>Alice: We'll be okay.<br/>Alice goes back to Hasan. They walk down the serpentine trail to the dock. Alice slips a few times. Hasan catches her.<br/>Hasan walks out to the end of the dock. Looks back to the left sees the beach.<br/>Hasan: Even a beach.<br/>Alice walks out to the end also, sits down on the dock. Hangs her legs off the side.<br/>She pats the dock beside her.<br/>Alice: Sit here.<br/>Hasan sits down next to her.<br/>Alice: I wanted to talk to you about your seeing the video of the acid thrown.<br/>Hasan: We don't have to talk about it. I should have listened to Terry. Maybe at least waited awhile.<br/>Alice: Maybe you should have waited. But I want to tell you something. It is something I learned from a Catholic friend, Fiona, good Irish girl. She was very religious. I'm not religious. She was from a religious family. Her brother was a priest. Her uncle was a priest. Mother and sisters in Catholic guilds. That kind of family. They were all on the mystical side. I went to the University of Colorado. She did too. One of our friends Carol Montgomery was caught in a snowstorm coming back from a visit home. Worst storm in 10 years. The snow was bad just keep snowing. When it stopped the temperature dropped below zero. This is kind of a long story. I'll get to the point if you can be patient.<br/>Hasan: I have no where I have to be. I find your voice soothing. And I am in a beautiful place. The water. The lights in the city are coming on.<br/>Alice: So our friend died. She froze to death in the car. She had run off the road. The plows didn't see her car it was white. They moved the snow off the road and it covered up her car. When fiona learned about it, well we learned about it together. After they found Carol. My friend Fiona said I have to go pray. Come with me. I told her no. I didn't pray and I didn't think it would help me. I wouldn't be comfortable. And Fiona told me she believed you could go back in time. That she could be with Carol in the car so she woulnd be alone. We could both. That in there is no time and space. She was talking about her religious beliefs, but I thought of it as her metaphysics.</p><p>Hasan: Her metaphysics?</p><p>Alice: Paranormal, supernatural, mystical, spiritual. Fiona believed people can enter a trance and travel freely to a different time and place. For her it was in prayer, but she said meditation would do. Any kind of trance would do.  Me she meant me. I could put myself in trance and do it. Time travel. She said we had to do it for our friend Carol so she wouldn't die alone. Fiona said Carol shouldn't be alone when she died. We could be with her, we could comfort her. And so I went with Fiona to her church. We sat there and I couldn't pray but I was able somehow to put myself in a kind of trance and I could feel it. I experienced it. The quiet the cold the white all around. I felt the warmth of my friend in the car and felt she could feel me there with her but she was cooling and becoming more still. And I felt I was with her. That she knew we had come to her and we would stay with her. That we wouldn't leave her to die alone. I don't know how long we were there. Finally my friend shook me. She said we are done now. I asked her the next day if we shouldn't have just saved her if we could go back in time. She said we probably weren't powerful enough to do that but she believed, theoretically, it would be possible.<br/>Hasan: You took on her freezing to death. You shared it so she wouldn’t die alone. You thought, felt you went back in time?<br/>Alice: I did. Being with her. Felt the cold, felt her sleepiness, felt her letting go. And could feel we were with her. And felt she could feel us with her. And then another time, we Fiona and I were working together at a kids' camp and one of the children had drowned. And the mother had come back up to the camp after the burial. She came back to the lake to see the place her child drowned. She was so distraught and said she couldn't stop thinking about it. She said she couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep. She was pacing and agitated and Fiona sat down with her and held her hand and told her about going back in time. That she could go into a meditative state and go back in time and be with her child, that she couldn't save her child but she could share the drowning. My friend said she would help her find the right state. The woman didn’t want to. She thought my friend wanted money or something and she left. But the next day she came back. She had a dream Fiona was showing her a path and in the dream she knew she should take it. My friend said she understood what she was going through. She told her she could bear the drowning with her child. To imagine her daughter in the water and how the water frightened her and how the breathing was hard but the mother could bear it with her. That the mother didn't have to be afraid. That she could bear it. And that her daughter was frantic, but that she could comfort her. That the mother couldn't save her child but she could soothe her. Ease it for her. It was the same as Fiona did for our friend. And the mother went into a kind of trance. She did it. I could see her doing it. And she grew calm. I knew she was going through the drowning in her mind. Bearing it with the daughter. Enduring it. Not avoiding it. Which is what she had been doing. Getting close to it and then fleeing that was why she was so agitated. But then she didn't flee it. She was able to bear it. Taking some of it on herself. Being with her daughter at the moment of her dying. I mean you could say she just imagined it and that she wasn't avoiding it anymore, avoiding her own thoughts but it was more than that somehow. Not just imagining it, but her actually joining the daughter. And it was like it was with me and our friend Carol. It felt we took her loneliness in the car away. Whatever it was, that time with Carol it did feel like we traveled to the car and were with her. That we comforted her. That we shared it with her.<br/>Hasan: You are telling me, I can bear what I saw in the video. You want me to do that. Go back in time. Be with Amal when she feels the acid on her face. Go into some meditative state. I can't save her, but I can bear it with her. So her suffering is less. I can take some of her suffering on myself. Lessen it for her. Share it. In a trance. Seeing the video, I can bear it what I saw and heard and I can be with her as she is suffering. I can be with her. Bear it with her. Suffer with her.<br/>Alice: Yes.<br/>Hasan: Does Terry know about you. That you have this occult side.<br/>Alice: Not occult. <strike>He senses something sometimes.</strike><br/>Hasan: Occult only means hidden. How did you know to bring me down here and tell me this?<br/>Alice shrugs.<br/>Alice: What could it hurt? You could have gotten up and gone away. Pushed me in The Bay, but I'm your boss's wife, if you pushed me in, you would have had to fish me out.<br/>Hasan has tears in his eyes.<br/>Hasan: Thank you, Alice. Terry waited all that time for you. I understand why.<br/>Alice: Shall we go back up. It's nearly dark.<br/>Hasan: A few more minutes here. If you don't mind. I'll get us back up safely.<br/>Alice: I don't mind.<br/>They sit on the end of dock together saying nothing.<br/>Terry comes down the path.<br/>Terry: Alice, Hasan.<br/>Alice: Here. We are on the dock.<br/>Terry: Are you trying to steal your boss's wife?<br/>Hasan: If she weren't in love with her husband, I might try.<br/>Terry: People are missing you two. What are you doing down here?<br/>Hasan: Your wife and I were talking about the space-time continuum. And death. Your wife is a bit of a mystic.<br/>Alice: We can go up now. Hasan and I were finished. We were just sitting here for a few more minutes enjoying The Bay.<br/>Terry helps Alice up.<br/>Hasan gets up. He takes Alice's hand. Kisses her fingers.<br/>Hasan: Thank you Alice. I won't ever forget this.<br/>Alice: Let's go up. It's a lot for Nicky to be host to all these Seal Team Six types.<br/>Terry: Ex-Seal Team Six types. Only one is a Seal type. And he's really ex-Delta. And an ex-MI6 in Hasan's case. And the rest are SAS except McKenzie and she is ex-FBI.<br/>Alice: Whatever they are. It's too much for him.<br/>Terry: Jenna and Paul are here. Jenna is helping Nick manage them. Jenna was a Ranger. They don't phase her. <br/>Alice goes up the path first. Terry behind her. Hasan follows Terry.<br/>They walk back into the house. Hasan walks over to Jay and his wife.<br/>Jay: How are you? <br/>Hasan: I'm okay. Just spent some time talking to Alice. Helped. Thinking about Amal but not in as much pain as I have been. Poem keeps running through my head.  "And this maiden she lived with no other thought//Than to love and be loved by me."<br/>Jay: You said that in Skardu.  From some poem.<br/>Hasan: Edgar Allen Poe. His wife died. She had tuberculosis. The poem is for her. Her name was Virginia, but the poem is titled Annabelle Lee. Easier to rhyme with than Virginia, I guess<br/>Jay:Do you know the whole poem?<br/>Hasan: Has been on my mind a lot since she died. Wanna hear it. Kids learn it.<br/>Jay: Why not.<br/>Hasan recites:<br/><em>It was many and many a year ago,</em><br/><em>   In a kingdom by the sea,</em><br/><em>That a maiden there lived whom you may know</em><br/><em>   By the name of Annabel Lee;</em><br/><em>And this maiden she lived with no other thought</em><br/><em>   Than to love and be loved by me.</em><br/><br/><em>I was a child and she was a child,</em><br/><em>   In this kingdom by the sea,</em><br/><em>But we loved with a love that was more than love—</em><br/><em>   I and my Annabel Lee—</em><br/><em>With a love that the wingèd seraphs of Heaven</em><br/><em>   Coveted her and me.</em></p><p><br/>As Hasan is talking others move into the living room around him.  McKenzie moves away. Sits on a box near the door. Sits  quietly. </p><p><br/><em> And this was the reason that, long ago,</em><br/><em>   In this kingdom by the sea,</em><br/><em>A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling</em><br/><em>   My beautiful Annabel Lee;</em><br/><em>So that her highborn kinsmen came</em><br/><em>   And bore her away from me,</em><br/><em>To shut her up in a sepulchre</em><br/><em>   In this kingdom by the sea.</em><br/><br/><em>The angels, not half so happy in Heaven,</em><br/><em>   Went envying her and me—</em><br/><em>Yes!—that was the reason (as all men know,</em><br/><em>   In this kingdom by the sea)</em><br/><em>That the wind came out of the cloud by night,</em><br/><em>   Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.</em><br/><br/><em>But our love it was stronger by far than the love</em><br/><em>   Of those who were older than we—</em><br/><em>   Of many far wiser than we—</em><br/><em>And neither the angels in Heaven above</em><br/><em>   Nor the demons down under the sea</em><br/><em>Can ever dissever my soul from the soul</em><br/><em>   Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;</em><br/><br/>McKenzie gets up and leaves the room. Jay’s wife has Chantin on her lap. She hands Chantin to Jay and gets up and quietly goes after McKenzie.  McKenzie picks up her jacket, purse.  Samira catches her. Takes her by the hand.  They hug. McKenzie leaves. Hasan is still reciting.</p><p><br/><em>For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams</em><br/><em>   Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;</em><br/><em>And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes</em><br/><em>   Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;</em><br/><em>And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side</em><br/><em>   Of my darling—my darling—my life and my bride,</em><br/><em>   In her sepulchre there by the sea—</em><br/><em>   In her tomb by the sounding sea.</em><br/> <br/>Dino: To Annabelle Rest In Peace.<br/>The group picks up glasses. Lifts the glasses. The group drinks.</p><p>Terry: And to Amal. Rest In Peace. <br/>The group repeats “Rest in peace“. Drinks again .  Hasan bows his head momentarily. <br/>Hasan: Amal. My dove. Rest in peace.<br/>Hasan drinks. Puts his glass down. Takes out his phone, texts something. Walks over to Alice and Terry . <br/>Hasan: Thank you Terry.  Alice.  Terry, can't repay you. I know this cost you. <br/>Alice: No need to repay. Terry and Dino do this sometimes.<br/>Hasan: And thank you, Alice.  <br/>Hasan: I’m going to get going. I texted McKenzie. She’s waiting for me.<br/>Alice: I like her. She is a good person.<br/>Hasan: She is.<br/>Alice: Don’t hurt her anymore.<br/>Hasan: No way not to do that. If I see her it hurts her, if I don’t see her it hurts her. <br/>Alice: So you are going to see her.<br/>Terry (puts an arm around Alice): Let them sort it out. <br/>Alice: I am. I just feel protective of McKenzie.<br/>Hasan:  Alice, I love McKenzie. I want what is best for her.<br/>Alice: Who decides that?<br/>Hasan: I'm not sure. Maybe she does.<br/>Alice: You are going home with her.<br/> Terry: (Pulls Alice to him) Not our business. Come on Alice. We have other guests. <br/>Good night Hasan.<br/> Hasan: Good night Alice.  Good night Terry. Thank you.<br/>Hasan takes Alice's hand again. Kisses her fingers. Smiles at her. Turns around and leaves.</p><p>
  <strong> <em>The End</em> </strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>